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Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday criticised Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma over his remarks accusing Gehlot of exploiting farmers and selling counterfeit inputs during his early business career, saying that even though tough political differences may exist, proper fact-checking should be done before hurling serious allegations.
In a post on X, Gehlot noted that Sharma must have been only five years old when he opened a fertiliser-seed shop in Peepaar. The shop was closed within six months. He questioned the origin of the allegations, labelling them as false and fabricated. "Respected @BhajanlalBjp, I was thinking that when I opened a fertiliser-seed shop in Peepaar, which I closed just six months later, took admission in Jodhpur University to study, and even contested the student union president's election, you must have been merely five years old. So where did these thoughts come into your mind? On what basis did you level such fabricated accusations?" he asked. https://x.com/ashokgehlot51/status/2118024882177073501?s=19 He added, "After the personal and false allegations you made against me yesterday, I thought perhaps you would realise your mistake and express regret. That's why I even gave you 24 hours, but you did not do so. Differences can exist in politics, but the dignity of the position demands that facts be verified before levelling accusations." The remarks came after Sharma claimed that prior to entering full-time politics, Gehlot operated a seed and fertiliser shop where farmers were allegedly exploited through overcharging and counterfeit agricultural goods. Speaking at the BJP's 'Loktantra Bachao, Arajakta Hatao' campaign in Jodhpur on Wednesday, he questioned Gehlot's current influence in the Indian National Congress, alleging that the three-time Chief Minister has been sidelined by his party leadership. "Ashok Gehlot holds a great deal of affection for me. But then again, he doesn't seem to have much sway within the Congress party anymore. Just the other day, there was a Congress rally; Govind Singh Dotasra was delivering a speech, while a three-time Chief Minister couldn't even find a place on the stage. It isn't us who have brought you to this sorry state; it is the consequence of your own actions. It is your own party that has led you to this decline. I once considered you a senior leader, a three-time Chief Minister, yet you resort to lies, claiming all sorts of things happened within the CMO. Referencing enforcement raids on related storage godowns, he accused the former Chief Minister of hypocritical rhetoric regarding farmer welfare. "You talk about farmers, yet you were the one who exploited them. You used to own a shop selling fertilisers and seeds; you made a habit of fleecing farmers, and even today, you speak of exploiting them further. Back when you were busy exploiting them, your own warehouse was raided. You would charge money for counterfeit goods, profiting many times over at the expense of the farmers. If the left hand commits a wrong, if it engages in corruption, it shall be severed. If the right hand engages in corruption, it too shall be severed," he said. (ANI)
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