‘Why is he being a coward?’: Gehlot asks Shekhawat for approaching court in Sanjivani scam case

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday, October 23 called Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat a “coward" in connection with the alleged Sanjivani scam. Gehlot questioned Shekhawat's move to approach the court against his arrest and asked that the police be barred from filing a chargesheet in the case. While addressing the media in Jodhpur during the Congress' poll campaign, Rajasthan CM slammed Shekhawat for failing to declare the East Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) as a national project.

"Why is he (Gajendra Shekhawat) going to court for bail, if he is not an accused ? Now you are praying for stopping the SOG (Rajasthan Police’s Special Operations Group) from filing the chargesheet. You believe you are not accused, you have not made any mistake. Why is the Union Minister being a coward?,” said Gehlot, reported PTI.

Gajendra Shekhawat has recently filed a criminal defamation case against Gehlot for accusing him and his family of being involved in the alleged Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society “scam”. The Rajasthan High Court has also granted a stay on his arrest. Thousands of investors have been allegedly duped of crores in the alleged Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam. 

On July 6, 2023, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harpreet Singh Jaspal said that having considered the facts and circumstances, the testimonies of the complainant witnesses, and the evidence placed on record, it prima facie appears that the accused (Ashok Gehlot) has made specific defamatory statements against the complainant.

Accusing the Union Minister of not doing enough for the state, the Rajasthan CM stated that he failed to declare ERCP as a national project even though he holds such an important portfolio. Gehlot further appealed to the people of western Rajasthan to also make it an issue since being part of the desert region, they understand the value of water.

The Rajasthan CM attacked the Central government stating that instead of executing the ERCP, the government has been forcing the Congress regime in the state to suspend the project.

(With Agency inputs)