Rajasthan: A Sacked Minister & A Red Diary
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2023-07-26 13:20:38
About the Author
Rajendrasingh Gudha, the minister of state whom Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot sacked last Friday evening after he had criticized his own government in the assembly earlier on the day on its dubious record in crime against women when the house was discussing the horrific incidents of stripping and rape of women in Manipur, has now threatened to 'expose' Gehlot.
Gudha says he a red diary (some reports have said that he said he had pictures of pages in the diary) which holds big secrets. Specifically, Gudha says that the pages describe in detail, among other 'irregular' transactions, about who was paid how much and in what manner when the Gehlot government was facing its worst crisis at the time Sachin Pilot had rebelled and gone to a resort with MLAs loyal to him in 2020.
For the record, Gudha is the master of flip-flops. He has been elected to the state assembly twice, both times on a BSP ticket, only to switch over to the Congress after winning. But Gehlot had made him a minister both times. Lately, he has switched sides and is in Sachin Pilot's camp. He has claimed that he was told by Gehlot to reach the house of RTDC chairman Dharmendra Rathore when it was being raided by the income tax department, secure the red diary and destroy it. Gudha says that he kept the diary due to its 'explosive' content. Gudha was not allowed to speak in the assembly and was allegedly thrown out by other Congress MLAs (who, according to some reports, also snatched the diary from him).
There is no doubt that when governments face a rebellion, money flows freely. Most transactions are done in cash and someone somewhere must keep the records. Earlier too there have rumours of red, green, blue and black diaries in several cases in different states which never amounted to much. In this case too, considering that there is very little heat on Gehlot even after two days have passed, nothing serious or 'explosive' is likely to be heard over the issue.
