Rajasthan Politics: In a recent political development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a stinging attack on Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, bringing the contentious red diary' to light.
According to the Prime Minister, this mysterious red diary purportedly contains incriminating evidence of the Congress government's wrongdoings, and its possible disclosure could have serious consequences for important members of the party.
PM Modi declared during a rally in Sikar, Rajasthan, that the red diary' had left Congress officials dumbfounded, and that its disclosure might be a severe blow to the party's prospects in the approaching elections.
He accused the Congress of impeding progress in the state while Gehlot was in charge and emphasised the need for change with the slogan "lotus will win, lotus will bloom," referring to the BJP's election symbol.
In reaction to the Prime Minister's statements, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot dismissed the charges about the red diary' as a concocted story. He accused the BJP of fabricating unfounded accusations and attempting to ruin his government's reputation.
Gehlot emphasized that there was no such diary and instead poked fun at growing fuel prices, noting the "red cylinder" in reference to the troubles people suffer as a result of increased fuel prices.
The controversy grew much more heated when former minister and Congress MLA Rajendra Gudha revealed shocking allegations concerning the red diary.'
Gudha said that he saved Chief Minister Gehlot from embarrassment by securing the journal during a raid on Congress leader Dharmendra Rathore by the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax Department.
He said that the Chief Minister had personally directed him to retrieve the red journal' at any cost, emphasizing its importance in protecting the government from scrutiny.
In the run-up to the elections, the'red diary' scandal has become a major source of friction, with both parties swapping accusations and counter-accusations.
The BJP has used the claimed diaries as a powerful weapon to assault the credibility of the Congress government and project themselves as the party of reform and progress.
Chief Minister Gehlot and the Congress, on the other hand, have angrily denied the existence of any such diary, characterizing it as a political tactic to divert attention away from serious issues.
It remains to be seen how the red diary' controversy would affect the political landscape in Rajasthan as the crisis develops.
With elections on the horizon, political parties are throwing out all the means to gain an advantage, and the'red journal' narrative has given a new dimension of intrigue to the campaign.