“Voice of legislators representing SCs, STs and minority communities suppressed”
Eight months after the rebellion of former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, the discontent simmering in the ruling Congress in Rajasthan has come to the fore through three MLAs from the eastern parts of the State. The legislators of the Pilot camp have alleged discrimination in the Assembly proceedings and their constituencies being ignored.
Sapotra MLA Ramesh Meena, sacked as the Food and Civil Supplies Minister during the political crisis in July last year, Dausa MLA Murari Lal Meena and Chaksu MLA Ved Prakash Solanki have alleged that the State government is trying to suppress the voice of legislators representing the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minority communities.
Mr. Ramesh Meena, who had an argument with Speaker C.P. Joshi earlier this week over the allotment of a seat without a microphone in the House, said here on Saturday he would not hesitate to resign if things did not improve. He said he had sought an appointment with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to discuss certain issues with him.
The three MLAs, who along with 15 other legislators had extended support to Mr. Pilot during the political turmoil, said their constituencies had received a “raw deal” in the three consecutive budgets since 2019 and the Ministers were not responding to their requests for development work in their regions.
Mr. Meena said he was not seeking a ministerial post but only wanted to be treated with dignity as a Congress worker. “If I am not allowed to speak in the House, a message goes across in Sapotra that I am unable to raise the issues faced by the people in my constituency,” he said.
Mr. Solanki claimed that only a select few were allowed to speak in the Assembly and most of the MLAs belonging to the SC/ST communities had been allotted seats without microphones. “On the one hand, the Congress considers SC/ST and minorities as its backbone, but on the other, the legislators of these communities are weakened and ignored.”
Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi, considered a loyalist of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, has tried to pacify the aggrieved MLAs. Mr. Joshi has reportedly left for New Delhi to meet AICC general secretary in charge of the State Ajay Maken and apprise him of the situation.
In the temporary seating arrangement made in the Assembly as per the COVID-19 guidelines for maintaining social distancing, Mr. Pilot was seated in the back rows during the previous session. However, he has been brought to the front row during the ongoing budget session.
When Mr. Meena objected to the back seat without microphone, Speaker Joshi said the seating arrangement was decided on the recommendation of political parties. He lost his cool and threatened to quit when Mr. Meena alleged bias in the allotment of seats and questioned the refusal of permission to speak.
