Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], April 28 (ANI): Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday called Congress leader Ashok Gehlot the 'director' of 2020 Manesar resort political drama, when Congress MLA Sachin Pilot, along with his loyalists, moved to a resort and nearly toppled the then-party government in Rajasthan.

Responding to Gehlot's remarks defending Sachin Pilot over BJP leader Radha Mohan Das Agarwal's 'impostor' jibe at the Tonk MLA, Shekhawat stated that the former Rajasthan CM would never let Congress forget about the Manesar resort drama.

'Ashok Gehlot would never let government forget what happened in Manesar... I want to say that the director of the whole drama was Ashok Gehlot. Sachin Pilot was just a pawn, and Ashok Gehlot wants to use him to end his political exile because of which he is giving such statements,' said Shekhawat.

Earlier on April 27, the long-standing friction within the Rajasthan Congress saw a rare moment of public solidarity or perhaps a calculated display of veteran mentorship, as former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot stepped up to defend his erstwhile rival, Sachin Pilot, against scathing remarks from the BJP.

The verbal volley began when the BJP's Rajasthan in-charge, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, launched a personal attack on Sachin Pilot. Agarwal labelled the younger leader an 'impostor,' suggesting that Pilot's loyalty was divided and claiming he keeps 'one foot in Congress while the other is somewhere else.'

The comments aimed to reignite the narrative of instability that has shadowed the state's opposition party since the 2020 political crisis.

Responding to the provocation on April 27, Ashok Gehlot dismissed the BJP's claims, asserting that Pilot is firmly rooted within the party fold.

'Both his legs are in the Congress party and will remain there,' Gehlot stated, providing a visual counter to Agarwal's 'one foot out' metaphor.

While defending Pilot, Gehlot did not shy away from referencing the 2020 rebellion, where Pilot and a group of loyalist MLAs moved to a resort in Manesar, nearly toppling the then-Congress government.

'Those who strayed, who previously misled our people and took them to Manesar, will return. Sachin Pilot has experienced the consequences of making such a mistake. Therefore, he has now understood and become more cautious, and I hope he will never leave us,' he said. (ANI)