Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of the “red diary” allegedly containing incriminating material against the Ashok Gehlot-led government, the Rajasthan Chief Minister on Thursday accused the BJP of creating politics over an "imaginary" diary and wondered why central agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) can't get information about this purported diary. "I heard the PM's speech in Sikar about a red diary. The post of PM has dignity. They have I-T, ED, CBI - which they are misusing in the whole country. Can they not get information about this diary? They have made such a big deal out of intentionally, the way the minister who was with us was made a pawn, 50-60 diaries were waved in the Assembly. I heard these 50-60 diaries were also waved in Parliament. They claim that there is corruption here, or that law is disturbed here. Rajasthan has seen the most raids anywhere in the country. These people (BJP) are panicking before the elections and are making baseless allegations," Gehlot said while addressing an event. Earlier in the day, PM Modi, while addressing a rally in Sikar, said: “The Congress means loot ki dukaan, jhooth ka bazaar (a shop of loot in a market of lies). And the latest product of this loot ki dukaan is the red diary.” “Even the big leaders of the Congress are becoming speechless at the mention of the red diary,” Modi said. “These people may put locks on their mouths, but in these elections, this red diary is going to make the entire Congress’s dibba gol (score a zero).” Assembly elections are due to be held later this year in Rajasthan. Responding to PM Modi's charges, Gehlot further said that the PM and BJP are creating politics over an "imaginary" diary. "The people will show red flags to them (BJP). By talking about the red diary, they have conspired against the government, attacked us in the Assembly," he added. Rajendra Gudha, who was sacked by Gehlot as minister soon after he talked in the Assembly about “atrocities against women” in the state, claimed that this “red diary” contains records of “misdeeds” by the Gehlot government. Gudha claims to have retrieved it from the residence of Gehlot’s aide and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Dharmendra Rathore, at Gehlot’s insistence, while Income Tax raids were on at Rathore's properties in 2020 during a revolt against the Gehlot government. Facing a no-confidence motion in Parliament over the situation in Manipur, Modi also stepped up the BJP's counter-offensive focusing on crimes against women in Opposition-ruled states. He said there was “only one slogan this time” in the poll-bound state: “Nahi Sahega Rajasthan. Rajasthan will not tolerate atrocities on sisters and daughters.” The PM also talked about Opposition parties coming together under the acronym INDIA, saying that in the past, East India Company and the Students’ Islamic Movement of India have employed the word while seeking to hurt the nation.
