Congress leader Sachin Pilot is currently on a 125-km, five-day padayatra from Ajmer to Jaipur to raise the issues concerning the youth, especially corruption. He announced the march on Tuesday while hitting out at Ashok Gehlot by saying that it seems the Rajasthan Chief Minister’s leader seems to be Vasundhara Raje and not Sonia Gandhi. It came two days after Gehlot accused MLAs loyal to Pilot of taking money from BJP leaders to rebel against his government in 2020. Pilot spoke with The Indian Express in Ajmer on Friday, the second day of the yatra. He talks about why he feels the march is not crossing the party line and about his duty as a "younger" politician to look out for the youth of the state. Excerpts: What is the aim of the yatra? We need proper restructuring, a complete overhaul, clean start on the structure that we have created in terms of conducting exams … we must have a clear strategy on how we want to get young people into the best positions. In 70 years, no Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) member has been arrested before. I have said that a bulldozer razed the rented home of the middleman (Bhupendra Saran), then why not against (RPSC member Babulal) Katara? Like your daylong dharna earlier, the party symbol and photos of Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are missing from the yatra. This is a people’s issue. I think (Congress state president Govind Singh) Dotasra ji has clarified and declared that this is a private programme. There are no MLAs or ministers either. They were not invited. This is a public issue. I am going among the people. This is jan sangharsh (public struggle), not MLA sangharsh (a struggle by MLAs). The government has not responded to the issues you have been raising. Kab tak nahi denge? (Till when won't they respond?) I have written letters, I have requested, I have done anshan (protest) on corruption. I am now organising a march. Ultimately people will prevail. The will of the people must prevail and the people want a corruption-free system. All the allegations throughout those five years of Vasundhara Raje, none of them have been taken up properly (by the Ashok Gehlot government). And there are just six months left to go to the polls. What will we tell the people? When we are winning in Karnataka because of the 40% commission charge against (Karnataka CM B S) Bommai’s government and we will take action against those people who are corrupt when we form the government there, then why not in Rajasthan? जनसंघर्ष यात्रा - आज दोपहर pic.twitter.com/YToXNT4BhM — Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) May 12, 2023 The party high command also seems cold to these issues. This is the job of the state government, not the high command. It seems that through kisan sammelans earlier and now this yatra, you are settling scores with CM Gehlot. I don’t think individuals are important. I think issues are important. And I think the organisational commitments that we made, those are more important. I don’t think we have had a clear reply yet to the issues I have raised. Do you think there’s still time for you to become the CM? It is not about becoming anything. The issue is that we formed the government on the basis of commitments by the Congress party and I was the state president of the party. How will we face the people? It is never about a position. God has been kind, I have had many positions (in the party and in governments). जनता के हक में जन संघर्ष यात्रा के आगाज को लेकर कई लोगों ने मुझे मई के इस चिलचिलाती धूप का हवाला दिया। मेरा यही कहना है कि "राजनीति एक आग का दरिया है, ओर इसे तैर कर ही पार करना होगा" pic.twitter.com/F27hjLSvRF — Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) May 11, 2023 Is this yatra a show of strength? Not at all. I have always been with the people and I take pride that I am able to listen to them and be their voice on pertinent issues. This is about conviction and principles, about what we believe in, what I believe in; as a younger politician, it is my job to look out for the future of the state and what the young people are aspiring for, what their demands are, listen to their sorrows and look for solutions. It all boils down to corruption in the system. We must collectively battle that issue. It can’t just be that I become (the CM) and then you become (the CM) and nothing happens. And I am surprised why Vasundhara ji made all those statements about nimbu and doodh and all that. I was never alleging milibhagat (that Gehlot and Raje are hand in glove), I was just saying that we made a promise and we must deliver on those promises. नए जोश, उत्साह और उमंग के साथ जनसंघर्ष यात्रा आज दूसरे दिन का सफर तय करने के लिए निकल पड़ी है। pic.twitter.com/asLfeJgD5f — Sachin Pilot (@SachinPilot) May 12, 2023 Leading up to the elections, what is your plan? Because it seems that the Congress is pushing you out. I have raised the issues that the Congress stands for, which are: power to the youth, their future to be secure, and zero tolerance for corruption. I am espousing exactly what the party has been espousing. There are discussions about you in the AAP or third front… Charcha par dhyan nahi, janta par dhyan dena chahiye (we shouldn’t pay attention to hearsay but to the people).
