Jaipur, (Samajweekly) Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat , who has filed a defamation case against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, said on Friday that if Gehlot publicly apologises for his statement, he will consider forgiving him.
The case pertains to alleged “misleading statements” reportedly made by Gehlot against Shekhawat in connection with the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam in Rajasthan.
Shekhawat was addressing the media on Friday at the BJP office here on Ashok Gehlot’s ‘Vision Document-2030’.
In response to a question, Shekhawat said that if Gehlot publicly apologises for the remarks he made against him, he will have to consider forgiving him.
“After all, he is quite senior and an esteemed figure in my city,” the minister said.
Shekhawat had filed the defamation case against Gehlot in March this year, stating that an investigation was initiated into the Sanjivani case but his name was not mentioned anywhere, and demanded the prosecution of Gehlot for criminal defamation under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
He also demanded appropriate financial compensation for the loss of his reputation.
Gehlot had said after a budget review meeting at the state secretariat on February 21 that the entire Shekhawat family, including his parents and wife, were involved in the Sanjeevani scam.
Gehloit had also welcomed the filing of the defamation case, saying: “At least the case will move forward on this pretext.”
Hearing the case, Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court had issued a summon to Gehlot on July 6. Gehlot had filed a revision petition against this in the sessions court, but he did not get relief from there. The court, however, gave Gehlot permission to appear before the Delhi court virtually.
On the Chief Minister’s Vision Document-2030, Shekhawat said that Gehlot’s government has failed in every sector in the last five years.
“Now Gehlot is busy giving false certificate to himself through the Vision Document-2030. In 2003 and 2013, the people of the state had ousted Gehlot from power. This time also the public has made similar preparations. Why is this vision document remembered only at the time of elections,” Shekhawat asked, adding that all the promises made by Gehlot before the elections have proved to be a bundle of lies.
“If Gehlot was so concerned about the state, why did he not create a vision document and implement it when he became the CM in 2018? He had full opportunity, but he failed at that time. Now suggestions for vision are being sought. What’s the point of creating a vision document to document your failures,” he asked.
The Union minister spoke in detail on each major issue of the vision document and said that the Gehlot government has failed on all of these.
“In the vision document, it has been claimed to make Rajasthan a model state in terms of water, education, medicine etc., but the reality is that no work has been done in any field in Rajasthan. If we talk about Jal Jeevan Mission, Rajasthan is one of the lagging states.
“The situation in Rajasthan with regard to Jal Jeevan Mission is very bad. A budget of Rs 30,000 crore was made available to Rajasthan as part of the mission, but the state government could not utilise it. Gehlot government is first in corruption in Jal Jeevan Mission.
“English medium was started but without any preparation… In fact, schools lack basic resources. They do not have their own buildings, classrooms or teachers. Students of two classes are studying in the same room. There are no English medium educated teachers in any English medium school.
“The claims of computerisation of education have also turned out to be false. Thirty per cent schools do not have computers. There is no provision of toilets and clean drinking water in schools,” Shekhawat said.
The Union minister alleged that the Gehlot government opened 450 colleges in the state, but did not manage teachers in any of them.
“Ten thousand posts are vacant in higher education in Rajasthan. There can be no bigger joke with the youth than this. The children were not given laptops and tablets as promised,” he claimed.
Shekhawat also said the state government did not implement the Ayushman Bharat scheme till May 1, 2021.
“Lakhs of people had to suffer losses for three years. The name of Ayushman Bharat Yojana was changed to Chiranjeevi Yojana. This government has misled the people of Rajasthan. Doctors opposed the Health Rights Act. Hospitals do not have doctors or facilities. The government has failed in the field of medicine,” the minister said.
