Jaipur, June 27 Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, on Friday, launched a scathing attack on former Rajasthan Chief Minister and veteran Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, accusing him of trying to tarnish his image for political gains over the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam.
Gehlot has brought back the emphasis on the Sanjivani scam and said that Union Minister Shekhawat should withdraw the defamation case filed against him and come forward for talks to ensure justice for the victims of the scam.
He also claimed that if Union Minister Shekhawat is innocent, he should sit with the Sangharsh Samiti and the affected people to find a solution to solve the problems of the victims.
Replying to Gehlot's statement, Union Minister Shekhawat said, "Ashok Gehlot ji has miserably failed in his attempt to malign my reputation by dragging my name into the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society case to further his son's political career. The Rajasthan High Court has already acquitted me, and Gehlot ji knew very well that I was innocent."
He added that his only 'fault' was the unwavering affection of the people in Jodhpur and the recognition of his hard work, which, he claimed, has raised serious questions not only about Gehlot's son but also about the former Chief Minister's own political standing.
Reacting to Gehlot's recent remarks against him, Union Minister Shekhawat said, "If defaming me serves your purpose, then let me do you another favour."
He urged Gehlot not to exploit the pain of Sanjivani victims for political revenge or to express frustration over his son's electoral defeat.
"Had he (Ashok Gehlot), as the head of the government, made honest efforts to provide relief to the victims instead of framing me, they would have truly benefited," Shekhawat added.
The Union Minister said, "If burning garlands in my name helps you regain relevance within your party after the BJP's sweeping victory, I will take it as another favour I've done for you."
The Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam is valued at more than Rs 950 crore, with its impact spread across several states, including Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The society, which began operations in Barmer in 2008, expanded rapidly by opening 237 branches.
It allegedly duped around 1.5 lakh people by luring them with promises of high returns and foreign trips.
Investors were converted into agents and offered commissions, creating a multi-level chain system that drew more people into the scam.
The society disbursed loans in an irregular and fraudulent manner, with most recipients being fake customers.
According to the state government's data records, loans worth Rs 1,100 crore were disbursed.
The alleged mastermind of the scam, Vikram Singh, has been arrested by the Special Operations Group.
Union Minister Shekhawat's name was also linked to the case, though he has consistently denied any involvement.
Union Minister Shekhawat filed a defamation case against Gehlot, accusing him of dragging his name and that of his late mother into the scam.
In response, Gehlot said he welcomed the case against him, asserting that it would help bring the scam into greater public discussion.
He further claimed that 80 per cent of the victims belonged to the Rajput community, and expressed emotional anguish over their suffering.
Earlier on Thursday, Gehlot had accused Union Minister Shekhawat along with other BJP leaders of making attempts to topple the previous Congress government in Rajasthan.
Speaking to the media in Jodhpur, Gehlot alleged that senior BJP leaders, including the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, had conspired to topple the previous Congress government in the state and had engaged in horse-trading by distributing huge sums of money to MLAs.
"Amit Shah, Dharmendra Pradhan and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the Narendra Modi-led BJP government conspired to topple the Rajasthan government, but failed. Ours was the only government in the country that they could not overthrow," the former Chief Minister said.
"They toppled governments in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, but could not do so in Rajasthan. These (BJP) people tried to break our (Congress) party and distributed money to MLAs. I have proof of this. The situation they created -- is this in line with the Constitution? Today, these people are celebrating the Constitution Day," Gehlot added.
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