Following his dismissal as a minister in the Rajasthan government, MLA Rajendra Gudha intensified his criticism of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, alleging that the state is grappling with rising crimes against women and that Gehlot is no longer in control. Gudha’s removal from office was announced on Friday, a decision described by Congress in charge for Rajasthan, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, as a collective one due to Gudha’s departure from the party’s ideology.
In response to the sacking, Gudha remained defiant and accused the Gehlot government of failing to provide security to women. He urged for concrete measures to ensure the safety of women in the state and expressed concerns over the increasing incidents of violence against them.
“Nothing will happen by sacking Rajendra Gudha. Create a sense of security in sisters and daughters. There is an atmosphere of anarchy in the state. The home department is with the chief minister who is sitting with a bandage on his feet,” the MLA from Udaipurwati said in Jhunjhunu.
While Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot downplayed questions about the minister’s removal, the opposition BJP seized the opportunity to criticize the Congress party. Union Minister Anurag Thakur questioned whether Gehlot would take responsibility for the state’s law and order situation when his own minister indicated a lack of authority within the government.
Gudha’s portfolio included Minister of State for Sainik Kalyan, Home Guard and Civil Defence, Panchayati Raj, and Rural Development. His removal came shortly after he raised concerns about law and order in the state assembly.
Sukhjinder Randhawa clarified that Gudha’s dismissal was a result of his consistent defiance of party discipline and habit of criticizing the Congress.
During a discussion in the assembly on the Rajasthan Minimum Income Guarantee Bill 2023, Congress MLAs were focused on the Manipur violence issue, while Gudha took the opportunity to question his own government’s response to crimes against women in Rajasthan.
“Will Chief Minister Gehlot tender his resignation when his own minister says that the chief minister has lost his ‘iqbal’ (authority), when in his home district, a woman is murdered and burnt, and when five km away from his residence a woman is raped and left to die?” he asked.
“This is a question for (Congress chief Mallikarjun) Kharge and Gandhi parivaar leaders,” he said and asked if they have “forgotten their responsibility”.
Gudha, who was among six MLAs who switched from the BSP to Congress in 2019, had previously supported Gehlot during his confrontation with former deputy Sachin Pilot. However, in recent months, Gudha has been vocal in favor of Pilot, which may have contributed to his removal from the ministerial position.
“‘It is my and the state president’s job to maintain discipline in the party. The Congress party needs those people who follow the ideology of the Congress. The one who does not follow the ideology of the party has no place in the Congress,
“The way we have failed to provide security to women in Rajasthan and atrocities on women have increased, instead of raising the issue of Manipur, we should introspect,” Gudha said.
Chief Minister Gehlot deemed the decision to remove Gudha as an internal matter of the party, while Sukhjinder Randhawa emphasized that the Congress party seeks members who adhere to its ideology. The incident has raised questions about party unity and handling dissenting voices within the Congress in Rajasthan.