Kirodi Lal Meena hits out at PCC chief Sachin Pilot for humiliating Ashok Gehlot

Stalwart tribal leader and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Kirodi Lal Meena has come down heavily on PCC chief Sachin Pilot. Meena said Pilot is not a farmer’s son and warned that soon notice boards would be put across 47 constituencies with a ‘no entry to Congress’ message. He also criticised Pilot for instigating public humiliation of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot with the help of a particular community.

Using the publically visible conflict within Rajasthan Congress, Meena has launched a scathing attack on PCC chief Pilot. Addressing a public function in Dausa on Friday, Meena said, “Sachin Pilot is not a farmer’s son. His father was a pilot. His grandfather was a farmer, but Sachin does not know the difference between kharif and rabi crops. I challenge him to come to the field with me.”

He went on to say that Congress would not be given entry on 47 seats in Eastern Rajasthan. “By next month you will see notice boards proclaiming; no entry for Congress, in these areas.” Meena is a stalwart tribal leader and his stronghold is eastern Rajasthan.

Referring to the incident of hooting by some youth against Gehlot at Bayana and Bikaner, during Rahul Gandhi’s Rajasthan tour on 9 and 10 October, Meena laid the blame on Pilot. “It is not correct that a senior leader of the party is shown disrespect by youth belonging to a ceratin community,” he said. By this statement Meena was referring to youth of Gurjar community, to which Pilot belongs. Bayana has a large Gurjar population.

Meena had left BJP in 2008, after differences with chief minister Vasundhara Raje.

His wife Golma Devi had been a minister in the 2008-13 Gehlot government. Kirodi Lal belongs to the Meena community while Pilot to Gurjar community.

These two communities have for long been opposed to each other; especially over the issue of reservation.

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