‘Punished…’: Rajasthan minister after being sacked by CM Ashok Gehlot

Jaipur: Rajendra Singh Gudha, who was sacked from the Rajasthan cabinet on Friday by the Ashok Gehlot government after his statement regarding women’s safety in the state, said late on Friday night that he has been punished for speaking the truth. Speaking to reporters after being dropped from the Rajasthan cabinet, Rajendra Singh Gudha said, “I always speak the truth, I am who I am. I listen to my conscience…I was punished for speaking the truth.” He said, “The sisters and daughters of Udaipurwati assembly constituency who helped me win the election have trusted me so that I can respect and protect them. But the way newspapers today are full of incidents of sexual harassment on our sisters and mothers, it shows that Rajasthan is number one in atrocities against women.”

Rajendra Singh Gudha said that even during the BJP rule in the state, the Congress, which was in opposition, had raised its voice against the kidnapping of children. “We protested against the kidnapping of girl children during the BJP rule in the state. People elected us with the hope that we can do something good for women, against unemployment and corruption by sitting in Rajasthan’s biggest panchayat,” he said.

Condemning the incident in Manipur, he said that the Rajasthan government should also look into its own backyard. He said, “The way the incident happened in Manipur is shameful and should be condemned. But I said that we should also look within ourselves.” The former minister expressed concern that if these issues are not resolved, how will the government seek votes from the public when the state assembly elections are held after four months.

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He said, “After 4 months we will go to the public to seek votes. How will we face them then? All these things will worry us. All I said was that these things need to be fixed.” Speaking about the paper leak in the state, he said, “Our youth are committing suicide. I can give figures from my constituency. In the last two months, 30 youth have committed suicide. They are suffering from unemployment. They take exams every day but their papers are out. Youth are living in desperation and we are unable to do anything for them.”

Earlier on Friday, Gudha criticized his own government over the recent incidents of crime against women in the state. Speaking in the Assembly, Congress leader Gudha said it should be accepted that the state government has “failed” in women’s safety. “It is true and it should be accepted that we have failed in women safety. Gudha said, “Instead of Manipur, we should look within ourselves why atrocities on women have increased in Rajasthan.”

The recent incident, in which the body of a 19-year-old girl was recovered from a well in which she was allegedly thrown after being raped and murdered, has created a ruckus in the state assembly. The Rajasthan government on Friday sacked its state minister Rajendra Singh Gudha. According to the Governor House, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has recommended the removal of the minister to Governor Kalraj Mishra.

The Governor accepted the recommendation of the Chief Minister with immediate effect. The Governor’s House said, “Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on the evening of July 21, recommended Governor Kalraj Mishra to sack Minister of State Rajendra Singh Gudha, a member of the Council of Ministers. The Governor has accepted this recommendation of Chief Minister Gehlot with immediate effect.” In the official statement, the order did not give any reason for Gudha’s dismissal.

BJP MP Rajyavardhan Rathore lashed out at the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan for dropping Rajendra Singh Gudha from the state cabinet, saying the “Congress cannot tolerate the truth”. Rajyavardhan Rathore told ANI, “He was dropped from the state cabinet because the Congress could not tolerate the truth, which was suppressed by the state government for a long time.” Rathore said that Rajasthan minister Rajendra Singh Gudha spoke the truth when he said that the state government needs to look into the crimes happening in its state.

He said, “A minister from Rajasthan spoke the truth inside the Vidhan Sabha, he said that instead of criticizing the incidents of other states, the state government should look into the crimes happening in its own state. For the last three years, Rajasthan is number one in crimes against women. This is the truth.” Targeting the Ashok Gehlot government, Rathore said, “Minister Gudha is right that a video surfaced in Manipur, whereas sisters and daughters are raped here every day. Is Ashok Gehlot waiting for a video to surface?”