The Rajasthan assembly was adjourned after sacked minister Rajendra Gudha, aided by BJP MLAs, created unruly scenes in the House during Zero Hour on Monday. Gudha, who was sacked as minister of state on Friday after he cornered his own Congress government in the assembly, reached near Speaker C P Joshi's chair with a "red diary" and had an argument with him. As Gudha waved the red-coloured diary, the speaker asked him to come to his chamber.
After some time, Gudha reached near Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal and confronted him while he stood to speak.
Ugly scenes were witnessed at this time and BJP MLAs too created an uproar and stormed the well of the House over the issue of the "red diary". The speaker then adjourned the House. Before the House began in the morning, Gudha told reporters that he would "disclose" details about the "red diary" in the assembly. He said the diary contained some "secrets".
Gudha, who held charge as minister of state for Sainik Kalyan (Independent Charge), Home Guard and Civil Defence, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, was sacked on Friday evening, hours after he cornered the state government over the law and order situation and women safety in the assembly.
On Sunday, Gudha claimed he had saved Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot from trouble but was removed without being given an opportunity to explain himself. "If Rajendra Gudha was not there, the chief minister would have been in jail," he claimed at a programme in Jhunjhunu district.
He added that he had secured a "red diary" on the directions of the chief minister during a raid by the ED and Income Tax Department against Congress leader Dharmendra Rathore. "The chief minister called and asked me to retrieve the 'red diary' at any cost," he claimed, without going into details of the diary's contents.
He claimed the chief minister had repeatedly asked him if he had burnt the diary and added the CM would not have done so if there was nothing incriminating in it.
The BJP latched on to his statement to target the ruling Congress in the state. "Rajendra Guddha makes sensational disclosure about a Red Diary that contains the alleged black deeds of Congress- Gehlot Govt.Will those who know the truth about the black deeds of corruption and women atrocities now answer about this?" BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla tweeted.
On Monday, Gudha said that he has chosen the "path of struggle" and would not tender an apology. He added that he will "disclose" the details about "red diary" in the state assembly. "I have chosen the path of struggle and not that of apology. For what should I tender an apology? I have raised the voice for women safety. I am free now," Gudha told reporters before the House proceedings began in the morning.
