JAIPUR: "Nobody needs to be unduly worried about Rahul Gandhi's appreciation of my patience in Delhi a few days back," said Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday in a retort after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and cabinet minister Shanti Dhariwal alleged that he connived with BJP leader and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to precipitate the 2020 political crisis in Rajasthan.
During the recent Congress agitation against ED in New Delhi, Rahul had said that the Congress party teaches patience and cited the example of Pilot and other leaders.
Breaking his silence on the allegations made by Gehlot a few days back, Pilot said the former Congress president's comment should be taken in the right spirit and nothing more needs to be said.
He said he was not offended by the chief minister's statement. "Gehlotji had earlier called me names such as 'nakara', 'nikamma' and many other things. He is an experienced senior leader, the CM minister is like a father figure and, if he says something, I do not take it otherwise," Pilot said while speaking to the media in Tonk after the satyagraha against the Agnipath scheme in his constituency.
During the 2013 elections, Congress MLAs were reduced to 21, he said.
Deputy leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore has called former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot 'big hearted' for his soft reaction to chief minister Ashok Gehlot accusing him and Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat of conspiring to topple the Congress government.
"Inspite of being embellished with words like 'nikamma' and 'conspirator', which is in line with the political culture of Rajasthan, Sachin Pilotji, the former PCC president and former deputy chief minister showed a big heart," said Rathore.
