Lokesh Sharma, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the outgoing Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, alleged on Tuesday that the Congress government in the state had monitored the movements of party leader Sachin Pilot and tapped his phone during a political crisis in 2020. Sharma asserted that these actions were taken under the instructions of Ashok Gehlot to safeguard the Congress government in the state.
Sharma stated to ANI, “During the political crisis in Rajasthan, when Sachin Pilot had gone to Manesar with 18 MLAs, it is natural that the state government tracks the movement in such cases. So, the state government was keeping track of Sachin Pilot and the people he was meeting. Sachin Pilot was being monitored on where he was going and who he was talking to on the phone so that corrective measures could be taken.”
He emphasized that Congress successfully retained its government due to monitoring Pilot’s activities. “It was because of the monitoring that we could bring some people back. He was also being chased, and all his movements were tracked. I believe Sachin Pilot was aware of this and that he is being monitored,” added Lokesh Sharma.
Sharma stressed the need for Congress to introduce new and young faces to counter the BJP effectively. “We have to face a huge challenge against the BJP. The time has come for a change. Young faces have to be promoted. It will improve our performance. We need to bring young faces who have the motivation to do hard work,” he said.
In the recent Assembly polls, Congress faced defeat in Rajasthan, with the BJP winning 115 seats and Congress securing 69 seats in the 200-member Assembly.