Rajasthan Cops Visit Haryana Resort to See MLAs, Return After Wait

This is reportedly the second time in three days that Rajasthan Police has attempted to meet MLAs supporting Pilot.

Sachin Pilot’s supporters has claimed that they have over 20 MLAs and that Ashok Gehlot’s government is in a minority

(Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

For a second time in three days, the Rajasthan Police on Sunday, 19 July, tried and failed to meet the state MLAs supporting Sachin Pilot at the hotels they are being housed at in Haryana’s Manesar.

According to a report by NDTV, a team of Rajasthan Police reportedly went to Best Western Resort but had to leave after not being allowed inside even after 20 minutes. On Friday, cops had tried to meet the MLAs at ITC Grand Bharat but were waylaid by Haryana cops, who allowed them inside the hotel for a few minutes.

Following allegations of horse trading and phone-tapping amid the political crisis in Rajasthan with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot facing a rebellion from his erstwhile deputy Sachin Pilot, the Special Operations Group of the Rajasthan Police had reportedly gone to collect Bhanwar Lal Sharma’s voice sample, who has been accused of conspiring with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Pilot is reportedly staying at one of the two resorts with 18 of his supporters ever since the crisis in the state Congress unit. Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has claimed that he has not been on talking terms with Sachin Pilot for the past 18 months.

The former deputy CM of Rajasthan took Congress to court last week over attempts to disqualify him and 18 MLAs from the party.

Pilot moving the Rajasthan High Court came in the wake of a show cause notice, served to 19 Congress MLAs including Sachin Pilot, by Assembly Speaker CP Joshi. The MLAs are required to reply to the letter asking them why they cannot be disqualified.

(With inputs from NDTV)