Raised issues concerning people, made no remarks against party, say two ministers removed from Gehlot government

Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena, who were earlier today removed from the Rajasthan Cabinet along with Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot by the Congress, have raised questions over the action taken against them saying that they were raising issues concerning people.

The two former ministers said they never made any remarks against the party and raised genuine issues concerning the Ashok Gehlot government.

"Congress party, Chief Minister and the high command has suspended Sachin Pilotji from the Cabinet. They have also suspended me and my colleague Ramesh Meena. I want to ask when have we given any anti-party statement or which goes against the party's interest?" Singh asked.

He said the Congress government in the state was not able to fulfill its promises.

"We just wanted to bring the high command's attention to the fact that we are unable to deliver on the promises made in our mfesto even after close to two years of our rule. I want to put this question in front of the public also. What was the fault of three of us or of our other colleagues for which we were removed from the Cabinet?" he asked.

Meena, the other Congress leader removed from the Cabinet, said that the MLAs under Pilot were just trying to raise the issues being faced by the people in the state.

"My department was Food and Civil Supply and the work done was appreciated even by the Prime Minister and Ram Vilas Paswan but in return, I got removed. We were dissatisfied and we raised our points which were related to the people, STs, SCs, the poor and needy. The SC/ST MLAs said that the cases levied during the Bharat bandh on April 2 should be taken back. They always said they will but they have not been taken back," Meena said.

Earlier today Pilot was removed by the Congress as Deputy Chief Minister and Rajasthan PCC chief in the continuing high-voltage drama in Rajasthan.

Party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala made the announcement after a meeting of Congress Legislature Party, the second such meeting in two days.

"Sachin Pilot has been relieved of the post of Deputy Chief Minister and Vishvendra Singh and Ramesh Meena as ministers," he said.

Surjewala said that party leader Govind Singh Dotasra has been appointed as the new PCC chief in place of Pilot.

The Congress government in Rajasthan went into crisis after simmering differences between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Pilot came out in the open. Pilot, who was deeply miffed over the state police seeking to record his statement in a case in which it had arrested two persons for alleged attempts to destabalise the government, left Rajasthan.

( With inputs from ANI )