Protesting against corruption of earlier BJP government, says Pilot

Congress leader Sachin Pilot sat on a protest in Jaipur on Tuesday, demanding action from his party's state government on corruption charges against former chief minister Vasundhara Raje of the BJP. With a picture of Mahatma Gandhi in the background, Pilot started his daylong protest with a wave of his supporters backing him in a development seen as embarrassing for his party.

"It is wrong to say that this protest is against the current government. I have been saying it several times that this protest is against the corruption of the earlier BJP government led by Vasundhara Raje. I am just demanding action from the government as it was our poll promise in 2008," Pilot told ET in an exclusive interaction.

Asked whether he had informed the party leadership of his plan beforehand, the protesting Congress leader said it was not needed.


"Be it the Himachal election or anywhere in the country where I go to campaign for the party, I always raise the issue of corruption under the BJP rule. Do I seek permission to do that or do I inform our party leaders?" said Pilot. "Our leader Rahulji is always fighting against the BJP's corruption. I have written to the chief minister twice in the past. Now the time has come for the Rajasthan government to act against the BJP's corruption during their rule. We need to answer the people as we will face elections in five months from now."

Some Congress leaders had said that a probe was still going on to identify the people involved in trying to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan in 2020.

"Whoever is found guilty in the case should be punished," he said.