Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday sacked Rajendra Gudha as minister of state hours after he raised question against his own government over crimes against women. Gudha was criticising the government while Congress MLAs raised the issue of Manipur horror in the state assembly.
A Raj Bhavan spokesperson said "Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot recommended Governor Kalraj Mishra to dismiss member of council of ministers Rajendra Gudha in the evening. The governor has accepted this recommendation with immediate effect."
Gudha was Minister of State for Sainik Kalyan (Independent Charge), Home Guard and Civil Defence, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
It was during the discussion on the Rajasthan Minimum Income Guarantee Bill 2023 in the state Assembly that the Manipur violence was brought up.
"The way we have failed to provide security to women in Rajasthan and atrocities on women have increased, instead of raising the issue of Manipur, we should introspect," Gudha said in the assembly.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Rajendra Rathore criticised the state government saying Rajasthan tops the chart of crimes against women.
"Cabinet minister Rajendra Gudha himself is stating the reality of atrocities being done on sisters and daughters in Rajasthan. According to Article 164(2) of the Constitution, the cabinet works on the basis of collective responsibility and the state of a minister is considered to be that of the entire cabinet," Rathore later tweeted.
He also asked Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, who is also the home minister, to take responsibility for the "poor" state of law and order in Rajasthan.
After action was taken against him, Gudha told reporters that he was punished for speaking the truth.
"Rajasthan is at number one position in crimes against women. What did I say? I got the punishment for speaking the truth," he said.
Gudha represents Jhunjhunu's Udaipurwati constituency.
He was among six MLAs who won the 2018 assembly elections on a BSP ticket before defecting to the Congress in September 2019, was inducted as a minister in November 2012.
Gudha and other MLAs won on a BSP ticket and had supported Gehlot in July during the tussle with his then deputy Sachin Pilot.
However, off late he had made statements favouring Pilot.
He had also made statements causing embarrassment to the Congress. Recently, he had said that Gehlot and Pilot were running after him, so there must be some quality in him.
(With PTI inputs)
