Cong's Punia retracts 'Pilot in BJP' remark and slams Scindia; Jha backs Sachin vs Gehlot

AICC general secretary in-charge of Chhattisgarh, PL Punia on Monday retracted his 'Sachin Pilot is in BJP' statement calling it a 'slip of the tongue.' Earlier in the day while giving an interview to news agency ANI, PL Punia while speaking on the Rajstahan political crisis had criticized the BJP saying that they would go to any extents to gain power. During his statements, he said 'Sachin is now in BJP,' instead of Scindia, who had left the Congress party 4 months ago. 

Clarifying his statements he said, "My statement is being taken wrongly. Pilot just gave a statement, he is not going to the BJP. Scindia is in BJP, if he is giving some statement for Pilot, that is totally wrong. If he is saying something, we don't need his certification." 

Read: Rajasthan Floor Test Coming? Sachin Pilot Meets Top BJP Neta; Buys Time To Garner Support

Read: 'All Under Sonia Gandhi's Watch': BJP Rubs It In After Pilot & Scindia Tear Congress Apart

'Sachin Pilot is now in BJP'

During an interview to news agency ANI, PL Punia said, "Sachin Pilot is now in Bharatiya Janata Party. Everyone knows BJP’s attitude towards Congress party. We don’t need a certificate from BJP. They can go to any extent to get power. IT raids at this time is creating pressure. In the Congress Party, all leaders and workers are respected." 

'I fully back Sachin Pilot' 

Meanwhile, Congress' former spokesperson who was recently kicked out Sanjay Jha gave a statement supporting Sachin Pilot saying that the work he had done to completely shift the mandate of the 2018 elections in Rajasthan was a clear indicator of why he should have been the CM. Sharing the vast difference in the Assembly election results of 2013 and 2018, Sanjay Jha said, "One man slogged 5 years for it; Sachin. But who becomes CM?" 

On June 17, Congress party had sacked Sanjay Jha as its national spokesperson just days after he wrote an article critical of the party. Reacting to the issue, Jha had slammed the Congress for 'drifting away' from democratic, liberal, tolerant and inclusive' nature, quoting former PM Jawaharlal Nehru.

Read: Now, Karti Chidambaram Openly Criticises Congress; Sends 'lessons' Rahul & Sonia's Way

Read: Sachin Pilot Raised Rajasthan CM & State Congress Boss Post With Gandhis; Was Told To Wait