Gehlot should resign over diary': BJP

Jaipur: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday demanded the resignation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over a "red diary" which, he alleged, contained details of corruption and black deeds of the state government.

Addressing a "Sahakar Kisan Sammelan" in Gangapur City in the poll-bound state, Shah said the BJP-led central government raised the agriculture budget by six times and formed a separate ministry for cooperatives, whereas the Congress had done nothing for farmers.

Pointing to a few people who raised slogans during the event, the home minister said, "I want to tell Gehlot saab that you will achieve nothing by sending some people to shout slogans. If there is any shame left in him, he should resign over the 'red diary' issue and enter the election fray."

"Nowadays Gehlot saab is very afraid of the colour red. The colour of the diary is red, but black deeds are hidden in it. The red diary has details of multi-crore corruption," he said.

Sacked Rajasthan minister Rajendra Gudha had claimed that the red diary which he had secured from the residence of Congress leader Dharmendra Rathore during an income tax raid in July 2020 on the directions of the chief minister had details of Gehlot's financial transactions.

Assembly polls in Rajasthan is slated for later this year.

Addressing the event, Shah said the BJP government at the Centre has done a lot for farmers and initiated several schemes for them.

He said that during the erstwhile Congress regime, the agriculture budget was Rs 22,000 crore and the Narendra Modi government raised it by six times in nine years to Rs 1,25,000 crore.

Shah, who also holds the Cooperation portfolio, said the BJP government fulfilled the long-pending demand of farmers and constituted a separate ministry for cooperative societies.

"Ever since Modi ji became the prime minister, he is doing works that had not been done before," he said.

At the beginning of Shah's address, some people were seen raising slogans.

Referring to it, Shah later said, "I want to tell those who were raising slogans that if the Chandrayaan mission had been taken forward instead of raising slogans, today circumstances would not have arisen to shout slogans. If the Ministry of Cooperatives had been created, if the welfare of farmers had been done, then there would have been no need to raise slogans today."

On the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon, he said, "A few days ago, our Chandrayaan reached the south pole of the Moon waving the tricolour. In a way, new energy, new faith has been infused in the entire country. The south pole of the Moon remained a mystery. India has become the first country to reach the south pole. It is a matter of pride for the entire country."

Addressing the event, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the cooperative revolution in the country has helped change the economy of farmers, labourers, the poor and the youth.

Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah have worked to take this revolution to every state, he said.

He said the farmers have been made self-reliant by providing loans at nil interest rate.

Birla said there is a need to establish food processing organisations in villages.

"If you want to end corruption in the cooperative sector and bring transparency, then bring such a government. Bring a government that also provides loan at 0% interest rate," he said.