Not seeking forgiveness over Sanjivani case remarks: Gehlot hits back at Shekhawat

Jaipur, Jul 6 (PTI) Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Sunday hit back at Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat amid their ongoing defamation dispute, accusing him of evading accountability in the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society case in which thousands of investors were allegedly duped.

Shekhawat, the BJP's Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur in Rajasthan, had on Saturday said that he would never forgive Gehlot for "disrespecting" his late mother by dragging her name into the matter.

The alleged irregularities in the case in which investors were defrauded to the tune of Rs 900 crore have been under probe since 2019. After Gehlot accused Shekhawat of being involved in the case, the BJP MP filed a complaint before a Delhi court accusing the former Rajasthan CM of defaming him.

Talking to reporters after laying the foundation stone of a new Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters here, Gehlot said he did not seek Shekhawat's forgiveness.

"He said I did not respect his mother but I still respect her. May her soul rest in peace. In fact, she must be complaining in heaven about what he did," Gehlot said.

"The question is not whether he will forgive me or not... Who is asking for it? The document presented in the high court by the SOG during our (Congress) tenure had the names of his (Shekhawat) family members. I just made it public," Gehlot said.

Gehlot alleged that Shekhawat had openly promoted the cooperative in public meetings.

"You were a part of this. There's a record of your meetings and your praise for the company director. Even if you say you did not know about it, admit your mistake publicly," he said.

Gehlot said during his tenure as the chief minister, the state's Special Operations Group (SOG) submitted in the high court documents naming Shekhawat and his family members in its initial investigation.

"Shekhawat has got relief, but the high court did not quash the FIR. The court's order leaves scope for further action with the trial court's permission," Gehlot said, countering Shekhawat's assertion of a clean chit.

He also criticised the BJP government in Rajasthan, alleging it deliberately issued a "new report" within two months that cleared Shekhawat while the previous Congress government's probe had taken two years.

"Our intention was not to harass his family's women. That's why the SOG did not proceed further. But we didn't absolve him either. He went to the high court even before the investigation was complete," he said.

Gehlot framed the issue as one of justice for victims, saying poor people had sold land and property to invest in the cooperative, lured by promises of high returns and foreign trips.

"I invite Shekhawat. If you truly are innocent, let us go together to Barmer, Jodhpur and wherever the investors live and reassure them that they would get their money back," he said.

The mastermind behind the alleged scam, Vikram Singh, and several others have already been arrested. Shekhawat, however, has consistently denied any direct involvement, even as the initial SOG reports had named him and his family members before the probe direction changed after a change of government in the state. PTI AG RHL