Rajasthan crisis: Cong holds demonstrations, Gehlot says will gherao PM's house if needed

A day after leading a dharna at the Raj Bhawan here, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said if necessary Congress MLAs will meet the President and hold a sit-in outside the prime minister's home to settle the crisis in the state. Gehlot's remarks came on a day when Congress workers held demonstrations across the state, protesting against the "BJP conspiracy" to topple the state government and demanding a session of the state assembly.

According to party sources, Gehlot delivered the warning while addressing a Congress Legislature Party meeting at the hotel where MLAs loyal to him are holed up. "The chief minister asked us to remain prepared to stay longer at the hotel. If required, he said, we would go to meet the President and also hold a dharna outside the prime minister's residence," a party leader said.

Congress MLAs in the Gehlot camp had on Friday squatted on the lawns of the Raj Bhawan for five hours, at times shouting slogans and demanding that Governor Kalraj Mishra should summon a session of the Vidhan Sabha so that they can prove their majority. The dharna at the Raj Bhawan was called off Friday night, according to the Congress, after Mishra said he will abide by the Constitution but not act under any pressure.

The Governor asked Gehlot to submit again his recommendation for holding a session, clarifying six points. These included queries on the free movement of MLAs and the reason the session needs to be called urgently. After a late-night sitting, the Cabinet met again on Saturday to approve a new note, taking into account the points raised by the Governor.

It has now asked that the session should be held on July 31, after its earlier demand that it should begin on Monday. Gehlot was expected to meet the Governor and submit the note to him, but the meeting was yet to take place till late in the day.

In the evening, a 15-member BJP delegation met the Governor, expressing its opposition to the Congress dharna at the Raj Bhawan and the remarks Gehlot made the previous day. The chief minister had accused the Governor of not calling a session as he was under "pressure from above", indirectly blaming the BJP government at the Centre.

He had also said "we will not be responsible" if the people of the state gherao the Raj Bhawan. After submitting its memorandum to Kalraj Mishra, BJP leaders told reporters that the Congress was trying to "terrorise" the Governor.

They accused the ruling party of creating "an atmosphere of anarchy" and demanded Gehlot's resignation. "It is the right of the Cabinet to send a note to the Governor for calling an assembly session. But creating pressure to get it done immediately is the peak of violation of constitutional values," Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria said.

He said demonstrations held by the Congress were also a way to build pressure on the Governor. Congress workers staged protests across Rajasthan on Saturday.

They gathered in Jaipur and district headquarters, raising slogans against the BJP and demanding that the governor convene a session of the Assembly. At places, they carried posters condemning Sachin Pilot. State Congress president Govind Singh Dotasara had said only 50 people will gather at one place, but the demonstrations were bigger.

Gehlot's government has been under threat after his now sacked deputy Sachin Pilot rebelled. Eighteen other dissident MLAs have also defied a party whip to attend CLP meetings. The two sides are fighting legal battles in the high court and the Supreme Court.

Including the 19 dissidents, the Congress has 107 MLAs in the 200-member assembly and the BJP 72.