Congress chief Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan.
Jaipur:
While Sachin Pilot vs longtime opponent Ashok Gehlot sped up the pace in court today, judges were told by top lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi, “I am not a robot or a post office.”
Mr. Singhvi, who is also a congressional leader, was speaking on behalf of the Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislature who warned that Mr. Pilot and 18 other members of his rebel squad should be disqualified as members of parliament for anti-government activities -gone. This action was not taken lightly, said Singhvi, noting that the complaint filed against Mr. Pilot by his party was “not bizarre”.
The President has promised that in fact he will not pursue any action against Team Pilot until tomorrow evening.
Representing Mr. Pilot, who is 42, are two of the most prominent lawyers in the country, Mukul Rohatgi and Harish Salve. The first was Attorney General until 2017; the latter advises the Modi government on some of its most important cases, including those involving the country before international courts.
The registration of Mr. Pilot in his defense reveals his tacit agreement with the Prime Minister’s party to overthrow the government of the Congress directed by Ashok Gehlot, affirmed the Congress. Exhibit B, the party says, is Mr. Pilot’s choice – until recently, in the BJP-governed Haryana – for his group of lawmakers, who kicked out of Jaipur over a week ago and refused to return until Mr. Pilot replaced Mr. Gehlot as Chief Minister.
They skipped two meetings convened by Mr. Gehlot of all congressional deputies last week, which means they acted against their own party and should therefore be dismissed as elected members of the congress, says Congress. . But Mr. Pilot countered, through his lawyers, that his group’s action amounted to freedom of expression by being dissident against his party and that the assembly was not in session – so, in fact, they did not cannot be considered defectors and punished accordingly.
Through all of this, Congress and Mr. Pilot did not break contact with the party leader, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, repeatedly calling on Mr. Pilot to persuade him to put an end to his revolt. However, his assistants say she made it clear that Mr. Pilot could not be promised the promotion he insists on.
Gehlot needs 101 legislators to vote in favor of him to remain chief minister. This morning he had 102.
His relationship with Mr. Pilot, who was appointed his deputy when Congress won Rajasthan in 2018, has always been unwilling. Pilot says he learned to live with constant humiliation and marginalization, but about 10 days ago decided he could no longer endure the intimidation of his boss when he was appointed a person of interest in an investigation into the BJP who allegedly bought members of Congress to dismiss Mr. Gehlot.
However, Mr. Gehlot requested “direct evidence” of Mr. Pilot’s collusion with the BJP.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and two of Mr. Pilot’s supporters discussed three species recorded on social media last week, said Congress. Politicians have all denied the accusation.
If Team Pilot is disqualified from the assembly, a vote of confidence for Mr. Gehlot will become much easier – with the total number of deputies decreasing, the majority will also reach a number far more within reach. In addition, the dismissed deputies will have to stand for election again.
