Priyanka’s close aide flags Pilot’s removal from dais at Rahul’s rally

Jaipur, Feb. 15 (IANS): Sparking off yet another controversy by raising questions on the Congress’ future, Acharya Pramod Krishnam, a close aide of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, has raised objections to Sachin Pilot being asked to leave the dais during the recently held Kisan Mahapanchayat in Rajasthan’s Rupangarh when Rahul Gandhi was there.

“How can the farmers benefit when the farmer leader is brought down from the dais during the farmers’ ‘Panchayat’. This is not the question of Sachin Pilot’s insult and neglect, but this is the question of Congress’ future,” Pramod Krishnam tweeted in Hindi on Sunday and tagged Rahul Gandhi, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot.

Soon after Pramod Krishnam’s tweet, Sachin Pilot’s supporters expressed their resentment on social media and questioned why their leader was ignored at the rally.

During Rahul Gandhi’s Kisan Mahapanchayat in Roopangarh, Sachin Pilot and several other leaders were initially seen on the stage.

However, soon after Rahul Gandhi went on the stage, MLA Ramlal Jat and Rajasthan in-charge Ajay Maken asked everyone to leave the stage except four leaders, including Ashok Gehlot, K.C. Venugopal, Govind Singh Dotasara and Rahul Gandhi.

Pilot was very much present on the stage when the announcement was made.

As Rahul Gandhi started speaking, Pilot and Maken spoke to each other and both of them stepped down from the stage. This incident has been linked with the move to get Sachin Pilot off the stage.

Pramod Krishnam recently triggered speculation by showering blessings on former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot to become the Chief Minister of Rajasthan in the future.

“Mukhyamantri Bhavah” (May you become the CM): Acharya Pramod Krishnam tweeted while replying to Pilot’s tweet which had a photo-video of a farmers’ rally taken out in Bayana on February 9. The video showed a mammoth crowd listening to Pilot during the Kisan Mahapanchayat.

Pilot, along with his supporting MLAs, has been organising Kisan Mahapanchayats in Rajasthan which are receiving a huge response. The initiative has been taken to stand in solidarity with farmers protesting against the three contentious Central farm laws.

Pramod Krishnam, in fact, also asked Gehlot, who tweeted asking “young generation to come forward in the #JoinCongressSocialMedia campaign”. The spiritual guru asked Gehlot whether he was referring to Sachin Pilot via the tweet.