Dotasra Accuses State of Using Govt Agencies to Target MLAs

Rajasthan Congress president Govind Singh Dotasra on Thursday alleged that government agencies are being used to target legislators who speak out against the government.

- HT Correspondent

JAIPUR:

Addressing a newsperson at the state Congress office in Jaipur, he said, "A trend has started where agencies are being sent after any legislator who speaks out against the government in the assembly."

Dotasra's statements came days after cabinet minister Kirodi Lal Meena accused the government of tapping his phone for raising issues of corruption in the state.

The Congress leader alleged that Kishangarh MLA and party leader Vikas Chaudhary criticised Meena and chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma in the state assembly over the incident. Following this, Dotasra alleged that a team of 20 GST officers arrived at the residence of Chaudhary's friend to intimidate them and asked them to advise the legislator to speak "more carefully" in the future.

State BJP spokesperson Laxmikant Bharadwaj termed the charges as "baseless." "The allegations are baseless. The agencies work as per the law and there is no interference of the government," he said.

Following the alleged intimidation, Dotasra said that he and his party were not afraid of bringing up issues in the state. "We will corner the government on issues like phone tapping in the assembly and more. We will work fearlessly. Everyone must die one day, and only those who are guilty will fear. We have not acted dishonestly, so why should we be afraid? Wait for the budget; we'll show you how we handle them in the House. We won't let fear control us," he said.