Jaipur: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot threw his weight behind Sachin Pilot while accusing the BJP of insulting former Congress leader and Sachin's father, the late, Rajesh Pilot. The support also adds credence to the party's central command's claim that all is well between Gehlot and Pilot, in election year.
Gehlot's surprise support came after the BJP IT wing Amit Malviya Malviya falsely claimed that Rajesh Pilot and Suresh Kalmadi were flying the Indian Air Force planes that bombed Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram, on March 5, 1966.
Gehlot said Rajesh Pilot was a brave pilot of the Indian Air Force. "By insulting him, the BJP is insulting the sacrifice of the Indian Air Force. The whole country should condemn this," the senior Congress leader wrote in post in X, in Hindi.
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कांग्रेस नेता श्री राजेश पायलट भारतीय वायुसेना के वीर पायलट थे।
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) August 16, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
उनका अपमान करके भाजपा भारतीय वायुसेना के बलिदान का अपमान कर रही है। इसकी पूरे देश को निंदा करनी चाहिए।
">कांग्रेस नेता श्री राजेश पायलट भारतीय वायुसेना के वीर पायलट थे।
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) August 16, 2023
उनका अपमान करके भाजपा भारतीय वायुसेना के बलिदान का अपमान कर रही है। इसकी पूरे देश को निंदा करनी चाहिए।कांग्रेस नेता श्री राजेश पायलट भारतीय वायुसेना के वीर पायलट थे।
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) August 16, 2023
उनका अपमान करके भाजपा भारतीय वायुसेना के बलिदान का अपमान कर रही है। इसकी पूरे देश को निंदा करनी चाहिए।
In reply to Malviya, Sachin said the BJP leader got his facts and dates wrong as his father was commissioned into the force in October that year.
"You have the wrong dates, wrong facts… Yes, as an Indian Air Force pilot, my late father did drop bombs. But that was on erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and not as you claim, on Mizoram on the 5th of March 1966. He was commissioned into the IAF only on 29th October 1966! (Certificate attached) Jai hind and a happy Independence Day(sic)," Pilot wrote tagging the post of Malviya.
Also read- 'Wrong dates, facts': Sachin Pilot slams Amit Malviya over 'Rajesh Pilot bombed Mizoram' claim
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.@amitmalviya - You have the wrong dates, wrong facts…
— Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) August 15, 2023 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
Yes, as an Indian Air Force pilot, my late father did drop bombs. But that was on erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and not as you claim, on Mizoram on the 5th of March 1966.
He was commissioned into the… https://t.co/JfexDbczfk pic.twitter.com/Lpe1GL1NLB
">.@amitmalviya - You have the wrong dates, wrong facts…
— Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) August 15, 2023
Yes, as an Indian Air Force pilot, my late father did drop bombs. But that was on erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and not as you claim, on Mizoram on the 5th of March 1966.
He was commissioned into the… https://t.co/JfexDbczfk pic.twitter.com/Lpe1GL1NLB.@amitmalviya - You have the wrong dates, wrong facts…
— Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) August 15, 2023
Yes, as an Indian Air Force pilot, my late father did drop bombs. But that was on erstwhile East Pakistan during the 1971 Indo-Pak war and not as you claim, on Mizoram on the 5th of March 1966.
He was commissioned into the… https://t.co/JfexDbczfk pic.twitter.com/Lpe1GL1NLB
Pilot also shared the certificate according to which Rajesh Pilot was commissioned in the Indian Air Force on Oct. 29, 1966.
The 200-seat Rajasthan Assembly will go to elections later this year. Congress central command has been working on two aspects in Rajasthan.
First, breaking the jinx of anti-incumbency where voters have been changing the government every five years. Secondly, sealing an amicable end to the public display of dissonance between the CM and his former deputy.
Party insiders are of the view that the social welfare schemes of the Gehlot government would hold the key to address the anti-incumbency. It remains to be seen whether Gehlot would be able to further warm up to a miffed Pilot, whose demands include action in corruption charges against former BJP CM Vasundhara Raje and revamp of the Rajasthan Public Services Commission, aimed at restoring its reputation which had been marred by paper leaks. (with PTI inputs)
