Congress produces audio tapes of horse-trading; BJP says CM office manufacturing evidence; Raj, Haryana Police face off in G’gram where 18 rebel MLAs camping

It was a day of high drama in Rajasthan politics, starting with leaking of  sensational tapes revealing alleged linkage of two BJP MLAs and a Union Minister  in “horse-trading” bid, arrest of two middlemen, filing of FIRs , and ending with a standoff between Rajasthan and Haryana Police in Gurugram where 18 MLAs of the Sachin Pilot groups are camping in two luxurious hotels under police protection.

On a day when the Gehlot-Pilot feud reached Rajasthan High Court, Gehlot accused the BJP of attempting to de-estabilise the State Government by poaching on MLAs.

 The Congress suspended its two MLAs — Bhanwar Lal  and  Vishwendra Singh — and got an FIR lodged against them. The  Rajasthan Police also booked Union Minister Gajendra Shekhawat and BJP leader Sanjay Jain, accusing them of being involved in a conspiracy to topple the 18-month-old Congress Government.

 The FIRs were registered on the basis of the complaint filed by Mahesh Joshi, the Congress chief whip of the Rajasthan Assembly, after the audio tapes surfaced on Thursday evening and went viral on social media amid the political turmoil in State.

 They will now have to face the Rajasthan SOG probe which reached the venue they are lodged for last one week.

 The police swung in action after Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala demanded an FIR be registered against Shekhawat and  Sanjay Jain, accusing them of being involved in a conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress Government .

 “It should also be probed as to who arranged the ‘black money’ to bribe MLAs & who were given the bribe,” Surjewala, who is also one of the Central Congress team member to resolve the Gehlot-Pilot tug of war, stated.

 Reacting to Congress’ allegations of trying to bring down the Rajasthan Government, Rajasthan unit BJP said the Rajasthan CM residence is becoming a centre of fake audio, attempting character assassination of leaders.

“What happened today was shameful for the politics of Rajasthan that the Chief Minister’s residence is becoming a centre of fake audio and attempting character assassination of leaders. Attempts have been made to drag central ministers in the matter,” Poonia said.

 Urging the SOG to initiate a detailed probe, Surjewala said a warrant should be issued against Shekhawat and he should be arrested if it is suspected that he could influence the investigation.

 According to reports, audio clips in which Bhanwar Lal, who belongs to the Pilot camp, purportedly conspires to topple Gehlot-led Rajasthan Government under the influence of Pilot. The suspended MLA, however, refuted the allegations and termed the viral audio as “fake”.

“The Officer on Special Duty to Chief Minister, Lokesh Sharma is trying to pressurise MLAs by getting fake audios made as Chief Minister Gehlot is in despair,” Sharma stated in his defence.

Pilot who has not relented from his stand even after senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Ahmed Patel asked him to come back “home”, on Friday spoke to senior leader P Chidambaram.

Chidambaram  claimed that during the phone call he reiterated that the leadership had publicly invited him for a meeting and all issues can be discussed. ‘I advised him to seize the opportunity,” Chidambaram said to a media agency.

The Congress’s top leadership, the Gandhis, have reached out to the rebel leader several times over the past few days but Pilot has been largely unresponsive. This is the first known instance of Pilot dialing any senior Congress leader. Pilot also spoke to Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is on the opposing side in the court between the 18 rebels represented by senior lawyers Harish Salve and Mukul Rohtagi and the Congress.

Surjewala again said “doors were open for whoever wanted to come back”. Earlier Gehlot was asked by party chief Sonia Gandhi not to attack Pilot, whom he has accused of conspiring with the BJP and “making deals” to buy MLAs for a coup.

Gehlot was to address a Press conference but it was later decided that Surjewala will brief the media on audio tapes allegedly of rebel MLAs plotting against the Congress Government.

Top Congress sources said the Gandhis are keen to retain Pilot, who was a part of his close circle of aides along with Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit the party in March and switched to the BJP. Pilot though has maintained that he is not joining the BJP but a few Congress leaders including Gehlot suspects him and says he is buying time to win over more MLAs to his camp.

“We want to tell Pilot that if you don’t want to go to the BJP then don’t accept Haryana’s hospitality. If you don’t want to go to the BJP, stop talking to any BJP leader or member,” Surjewala reiterated.

The climax of the day was a stand-off between Rajasthan and Haryna police when the former tried to enter a hotel in Manesar to interrogate the MLAs named in the tape.

The Rajasthan Police’s special operations group (SOG) ran into a heavy deployment of Haryana police personnel at the Manesar hotel.  After hours of arguments during which some Rajasthan cops were also manhandled, four SOG men were allowed to enter the hotel. The Rajasthan SOG team left Manesar Hotel late evening after issuing notice to the 18 rebel MLAs.

After the high drama to prevent the Rajasthan police to enter the ITC Grand Bharat in Manesar by Haryana Police, the Congress said can the BJP continue to deny their hand in the conspiracy to topple the Congress Government in Rajasthan? “They stand exposed but remain unapologetic,” senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Anand Sharma told The Pioneer.

Congress has repeatedly accused Pilot of being in cahoots with the BJP to topple the State Government.