People's trust 'biggest asset for me', will not back down on demands: Sachin Pilot

Dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Sunday said people’s trust is the ”biggest asset” for him and asserted that he will keep fighting to get them justice and not back down on his demands.

He has been attacking the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan over alleged inaction into charges of corruption levelled by him against the previous Vasundhara Raje-led BJP dispensation.

”God gives the biggest justice and if not today, then tomorrow justice will be done,” said Pilot, who has been engaged in a power tussle with Gehlot since the Congress formed government in the state in 2018.

The state’s former deputy chief minister has also demanded disbanding of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission and its reconstitution, and a compensation for those affected by government job exam paper leak cases.

Addressing a programme after unveiling a statue of his father and former Union minister Rajesh Pilot on his death anniversary at the Gurjar hostel here, Sachin Pilot said his father saw many ups and downs through his political career but he never compromised on his ideals and self-respect, and left an indelible mark with his working style.

”Those who are in politics today, we may have a different thought process and ideology, but the collective purpose should be clear in politics,” he said, adding that ”today, the need of this country is to speak fearlessly, to support truth and honesty, and not to compromise even in adverse circumstances”.

Sachin Pilot also said as Rajasthan Congress chief, he had also taken on the BJP when it was in power in the state. He was removed from the party post as well as deputy chief minister in 2020 after he led a revolt against the Gehlot government.

Earlier, there was intense speculation over Sachin Pilot announcing his plans about his political future at this programme. However, the Congress has exuded confidence that a ”positive solution” would be found to the intra-party discord in Rajasthan and rubbished reports that he will float a new party.

The Congress leader said, ”I believe that whether we are in any position or not, the public always weighs what you have said and what you used to do. For me, credibility among the public is the first priority. People’s trust, promises made to them and credibility are the biggest assets in politics.” ”In the coming times also, your trust is the biggest asset for me, I will never let it decrease, I promise,” he said and added that no matter what situation, it is his promise to fight for the people and get them justice.

Sachin Pilot accused the previous Raje government of being involved in corruption and made a veiled attack on Gehlot for his reaction to the demands raised by him regarding compensation to candidates over paper leak cases.

After Sachin Pilot made the demands on the completion of his five-day Jaipur-Ajmer ”Jan Sangharsh Yatra” last month, Gehlot at a public event in the Rajasthan capital on May 25, without naming his former deputy, had said demanding compensation for candidates who have suffered from paper leaks is a sign of ”mental bankruptcy”.

”The central government says that if the poor get some help, then there will be financial bankruptcy. I say that if there has been a betrayal with the youth, and if we help them, (they) say that it will be mentally bankruptcy,” Sachin Pilot said. He said that for helping the poor and the youth, one should have a big heart.

He said he had protested against the Raje government on different issues but never used any indecent or abusive remarks.

Sachin Pilot said that many people come into politics, become pradhans, pramukhs, lawmakers, ministers, chief ministers or the prime minister, but they come and go. ”In the last 20-22 years, since I have been in politics, I have not done any such thing which has led to decrease in trust,” he said.

”On my promises, I have neither backed down before nor am I going to back down now. No matter what situation, this is my promise to get justice and fight for you…,” Sachin Pilot said.

Targeting Raje, he said that ”even today, I say that you had allotted mines, and cancelled them when theft was caught” and asserted that every mistake demands a punishment.

”We might talk about anything with each other, but the one who gives the biggest justice is the one with the ‘Neeli Chhatirwala’ (the almighty), if not today then tomorrow justice will be done,” he said.

Asserting that it is ”very important” to speak out in politics, Sachin Pilot referred to the deaths of newborns in a hospital in Kota in January 2020 when he was still deputy chief minister. He said he had then stated that it should not have happened and if there was any shortcoming or mistake in the rule, then it should be corrected without blaming others.

”I did not say this thing to demean anyone. I felt that hundreds of newborns were dying…this was said that the deaths used to be high earlier but now they are less. I believe that there should not be even a single death, the situation should be improved. Today, a good hospital in Kota has been made and the deaths have stopped. So, it is very important to talk in politics,” Sachin Pilot said.

Remembering his father, he said he always spoke with firmness and therefore, whether he was on any post or not, there were crores of people who used to listen to him.

Before the unveiling of the statue, Sachin Pilot offered floral tributes to his father in Bandhana village.

Ministers Parsadi Lal Meena, Mamta Bhupesh, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas, Rajendra Gudha, Hemaram Chaudhary and Brijendra Ola; MLAs Deependra Singh Shekhawat, GR Khatana, Murari Lal Meena, Mukesh Bhakar, Khiladi Bairwa and Mukesh Bhakar were among those present at the programmes.