PCC chief accuses law min of ‘conspiring' to shield BJP MLA
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Jaipur: In a significant political showdown, Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra Monday levelled serious allegations against Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Rajasthan Assembly speaker Vasudev Devnani, accusing them of succumbing to pressure from BJP and RSS in shielding convicted BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena from disqualification, despite court orders mandating his surrender.
In the evening, a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) delegation met Governor Haribhau Bagde and submitted a memorandum against pardoning Meena under Article 161 of the Constitution. Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully warned that showing leniency to a "criminal" would set a dangerous precedent.
The case dates back to 2005 when Meena allegedly threatened then-sub-divisional officer Ramniwas Mehta at gunpoint in Aklera, Jhalawar.
The Rajasthan High Court upheld his conviction on May 1 and the Supreme Court subsequently dismissed his appeal on May 7.
The Congress has drawn parallels with Rahul Gandhi's case, where his Lok Sabha membership was revoked within 24 hours of his conviction in a defamation case in 2023. In contrast, Meena continues to retain his assembly membership and security detail, despite higher court orders.
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot added another dimension to the controversy, suggesting that the entire state govt was operating under external pressure, with key decisions being directed from BJP central leadership in Delhi or RSS offices.
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"Even transfers and postings are happening from there, which is surprising as names suggested by the CM (Bhajan Lal Sharma) are not being considered," Gehlot claimed.
Addressing the media after meeting the governor, Dotasra termed the Speaker's inaction as 'unconstitutional' and a 'violation of court orders,' while alleging that efforts to secure a pardon for Meena were orchestrated at the Union Law Minister's residence.
Meghwal could not be contacted despite repeated calls.
Dotasra accused the BJP's "double-engine govt" of undermining the Constitution and disregarding court orders, saying, "This is why Meena still has a PSO and orders from the High Court to the Supreme Court are not being followed."
Jully said, "In the interest of justice, Governor's intervention is needed to halt the BJP govt's attempts to misuse legal provisions and reject the efforts to pardon Meena."
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