'BJP's agenda is to divide... but people are intelligent'

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has visited over 100 of the 200 assembly constituencies in the state ahead of the November 25 elections and targeted the BJP for what he has described as the politics of hate and “misusing” central investigating agencies against political rivals even as he has talked up this government’s welfare schemes. In an interview with Chetan Chauhan and Sachin Saini, Gehlot spoke about the ED summons to his son Vaibhav Gehlot, the role of the Election Commission, and defended his track record -- as a politician and a chief minister. Edited Excerpts

- Chetan Chauhan and Sachin Saini

The BJP has accused the Congress of appeasement politics in Rajasthan and claimed that you are concerned about only one community (Muslims). What you have to say?

There should be honesty in politics. The BJP should discuss the work of our government, point out our mistakes and flaws. We will reply to them. As they have nothing to point out in our governance, they are trying to make a non-issue a political issue. If you see all BJP leaders coming to Rajasthan, you will notice all of them making the same speech. They speak on Article 370, Triple Talaq. It is state election, speak about Rajasthan. Their agenda is to divide people and get votes, not welfare. The people of Rajasthan are very intelligent and they know who has worked for them in the last five years.

The BJP is taking about building the Ram Temple in Ayodhya that the Congress failed to.

They want to fight election on religion in Rajasthan. In the Kanhaiya Lal murder case (the murder of a tailor in Udaipur), we solved the case in a few hours. The accused were close to BJP leaders, who helped them in a property dispute saying they were BJP workers. The BJP is responsible for his killing. Ram does not belong to one person, he belongs to all. But doing politics on religion is not good for the country.

The BJP has not announced a CM face while you are the face of the Congress campaign. How will this impact the polls?

The BJP is saying they are contesting the polls in name of PM (Narendra) Modi in Rajasthan. I want to ask the BJP leaders whether PM Modi will come to Jaipur and decide when and where a college or road has to be built in Rajasthan and whether the PM will be Rajasthan CM. Governance will be given by leaders in Rajasthan and they should tell people, who will be that leader.

Is the BJP’s decision to not declare Vasundhara Raje as its CM candidate helping the Congress?