Pilot skirts Congress’ ‘Gaddar’ line in Scindia bastion

Bhopal, Oct 28: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Wednesday refused to toe his party line to call Jyotiraditya Scindia whose rebellion dislodged the Kamal Nath government in March this year, a ‘gaddar’ (traitor), saying, “One is free to decide which party one wants to be in and it is the public which judge one’s actions”.

Replying to queries by reporters in Gwalior as to whether he supported the ‘gaddar’ tag given to Mr Scindia by his party colleagues in Madhya Pradesh, Mr Pilot said, “I believe one is free to decide which party one should be in and it is the public which ultimately decides if one is right or wrong”.

Asked why he made no mention of Mr Scindia while campaigning for his party in Gwalior-Chambal, considered a Scindia bastion, he said, “Whatever I want to say, I say it emphatically and I know what I don’t want to say”.

Asked what transpired in the meeting between him and Mr Scindia in Gwalior airport on Tuesday, he quipped, “What is news for you; it may be no news for me. I am working for my party and he (Mr Scindia) is working for his party”.

Incidentally, the Congress has made the issue of Mr Scindia pulling down the Kamal Nath government by leading rebellion against former chief minister Kamal Nath, its key poll plank in the November 3 by-elections to counter Mr Scindia’s influence in Gwalior-Chambal.

Sixteen of 28 assembly constituencies that are going to by-polls in the state on November 3 come under Gwalior-Chambal region.

Mr Pilot who addressed as many as 9 election meetings in Gwalior-Chambal before winding up his 2-day-campaign for the party in the region on Wednesday however slammed chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for making ‘backdoor entry’ to power in the state.

“People had given mandate to Congress in Madhya Pradesh. But, Mr Chouhan returned to power in the state through backdoor by dislodging the Kamal Nath government”, was his common refrain in his election speeches.

He also dared Mr Chouhan to go for fresh assembly elections in the state to prove BJP’s popularity.

“Congress will return to power in the state with two third majorities if fresh assembly elections are held now”, he said.

Interestingly, Mr Pilot had raised a banner of revolt against Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Ghelot a few weeks ago, giving a scare to his government.

The revolt cost him posts of posts of Rajasthan Congress president and deputy chief minister in the Ashok Ghelt government.