‘It is the first time Central ministers are scheming to topple state govts – Karnataka, MP…’: Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot

Our government has worked for every section of society and uploaded details of every beneficiary online. Our government has waived nearly Rs 15,000 crore worth of farm loans; has given an additional subsidy of Rs 1,000 on electricity bills of farmers, which has led to zero bills for about 3 lakh farmers; given free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh through the Chiranjeevi Swasthya Bima Yojana; and during Covid, given everything free from tests to treatment. Government medical colleges are being opened in 30 districts, 123 new colleges have been opened, of which 32 are women colleges, we have given 1 lakh government jobs while about 80,000 are in the pipeline, rules are being formed for contractual workers, 88 lakh people are being given social security pension, roads are being laid in every Vidhan Sabha, complainants are being heard in police stations, and industrial areas opened in every block.

This is just a snapshot. People have approved our work time and again. That is why we have won big in six out of eight Assembly bypolls, and in urban local bodies and panchayati raj polls.

The BJP doesn’t have anything to show when it comes to its previous governments or the Modi government. Hence, they do politics of hate across the country, in the name of caste, religion, class and language. We have always sought votes on development. Now the public has sworn that they will vote in the name of development… Even after three years there is no anti-incumbency… The BJP has not been able to promote enmity due to the strictness of our government and instead their leaders are fighting amongst themselves.

The kind of Corona management we did, there was no discontent, as seen in other states… This time the public will break a tradition since 1993 and vote in the Congress again.

What will the government’s focus be in the next two years?

Health and social security have always been our government’s priority. Hence, we didn’t let anyone be deprived of treatment during Covid and not let anyone go hungry. Our government gave financial assistance of Rs 5,500 to 33 lakh families. We also provided dry rations and meals for Rs 8 through Indira Rasoi. Our state has immense investment opportunities and we are organising an ‘Invest Rajasthan’ summit in January. Farmer’s welfare, women empowerment, improving delivery of public services, Right to Health Bill, providing opportunities to youth, will be our priority.

The ‘Right to Health’ Bill has been in the works for long. Similarly, the accountability law. The final draft is said to be ready but for objections by some bureaucrats.

Right to Health is our priority.

And to fix accountability, our government, in the previous tenure, brought the Guaranteed Delivery of Public Service Act and Right to Hearing Act. We are working towards strengthening these two laws and examining the need for a fresh law.

The NCRB report indicates crime has drastically risen in Rajasthan. In rape cases, Jaipur (409) is next only to Delhi (967), while the state is third overall in crimes against women, after Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

The NCRB report says right at the beginning that crime is a result of various circumstances. We should avoid comparing states solely on the basis of figures due to various state-specific policies and procedures. Some people make the mistake of assuming that increase in crime and increase in registration of crime are the same thing. Our government implemented mandatory registration of FIRs in 2019. Earlier, police would write the report on a blank paper and lodge an FIR only when they found any evidence. But women and the marginalised communities used to face trouble due to this. Now everyone’s FIR is registered.

Not just this, in 2019, our government set up a special unit for investigation of crimes against women under an officer of Deputy SP rank in every district, now promoted to Additional SP. Due to this, the investigation time in heinous cases such as rape has decreased from 274 days in 2017-18 to 73. We have also appointed legal officers in courts, so that the culprit isn’t let off. This is the reason you keep reading that an accused was punished in 10 days or a decision given within a month.

But it is a matter of concern that people are maligning this policy. Of the FIRs lodged in crimes against women, 45.88% were found to be fake in 2019, 45.23% in 2020 and 47.56% in 2021, till June… The state is being maligned due to people misusing the law in this manner.

This is your third term as CM. What would you say has changed?

The biggest difference is in the relations between the Centre and state. Earlier, they worked together, but now the Centre treats Opposition-ruled states in a stepmotherly manner. Rajasthan has been seeking national project status for the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP). It was announced by the Prime Minister himself, but there has been no action on this.

After the implementation of the GST, rajyon ke paas koi khaas aarthik sansadhan nahin bache hain (the states aren’t left with any major sources of revenue). The Centre doesn’t give GST dues in time, due to which development works of the state get stuck. They take unilateral decisions without consulting states and states have to bear its consequences. And it is for the first time that Central ministers are scheming to topple state governments – Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh…

Several letters have been written by you to the Centre on the ERCP issue. What has been the response?

I have written five letters to the PM and seven letters to the Union Jal Shakti minister. The Jal Shakti minister has replied thrice. The Centre has given Rs 40,000 crore for the Ken-Betwa river linking project, but not taken any action concerning the ERCP… We are determined to complete the ERCP so we have started work using the state budget itself, but it is difficult without Central assistance, which is why we are seeking national project status.

… Political one-upmanship has led to developmental works being stuck. The people of the state have realised that if you turn the roti quickly, it leads to roti being undercooked, so the people will bless us again in 2023.

Prices of petrol, diesel and cylinders have been rising. Do you think the BJP will lose some votes on this account?

The economically well-off supporters of the BJP might still back it, but ask the common man, the mazdoor, if their income has increased in the same proportion as inflation. In the last five years, 22 crore people have slipped below the poverty line. Can turning people poorer be in the interest of the nation, as the BJP claims to be doing?… A Rs 20 lakh crore package was announced during the (Covid) lockdown, but it was made loan-based and the economy did not get any benefit.

At the recent rally in Jaipur, Rahul Gandhi said there was a difference between being Hindu and being Hindutva-vadi. Is the Congress going to adopt soft Hindutva as a strategy?

I have spoken before on this issue and I’ll repeat it. A Hindu is one who believes in truth, nonviolence, love, brotherhood and tolerance. Hindus don’t hate anyone and respect all religions. But chadm (pseudo) Hindutva-vadis believe in spreading violence, intolerance and hatred. The difference between Hindu and chadm Hindutva-vadi is the same as that between Gandhiji and Godse…

It is Rahulji’s belief that the BJP-RSS’s politics of hate and violence after distorting the basic nature of Hinduism should end.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat’s name has come up in the Sanjeevani Society case, and his call recordings also cropped up during the bid to topple your government last year. Has there been any action on the two issues? Your OSD Lokesh Sharma has been summoned by Delhi Police four times on the basis of his complaint.

This is the difference between their government and ours. We never use law agencies for political purposes. The police, SOG (Special Operations Group), ACB (Anti-Corruption Bureau), are all working independently. We never give them instructions regarding a specific person. Law will take its course and the courts will punish him… He (Shekhawat) has complained about an issue concerning Rajasthan with the Delhi Police while the law clearly states that a complaint is lodged where the offence has taken place. Delhi Police is working under the pressure of the Central government. But we believe this fake case (concerning OSD Sharma) will not hold in court.

You have announced free sanitary napkins for women through Udaan Yojana.

There is such hesitation in discussing menstruation though it is a natural process. I was surprised to know that about 62% of the women in the country use means other than sanitary pads. Doctors say using a cloth during menstruation can lead to several illnesses, including cervical cancer. Hence, we announced Rs 200 crore in this budget to provide sanitary napkins to all women in the state.

I believe there should be a debate across the country and governments must make schemes (for this).