The Hindu : National : Vasundhara has no business to comment on Sonia visit: Congress

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Vasundhara has no business to comment on Sonia visit: Congress

Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: The Congress has expressed its displeasure over Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s “snide remarks” on the visit of its president Sonia Gandhi to the State capital, which witnessed serial bomb blasts on Tuesday. Nor has it taken kindly to Ms. Raje’s unscheduled visit to the Sawai Man Singh Hospital a few minutes before the planned visit by Ms. Gandhi on Thursday morning.

“The Chief Minister has no business to comment on Ms. Gandhi’s visit. The Congress president has been visiting places affected by tsunami, floods, drought and earthquake. She is a sensitive person,” said Ashok Gehlot, party general secretary and former Chief Minister.

Ascribing Ms. Raje’s uncalled for reaction to her unease at Ms. Gandhi interacting with people, he said it could also be due to a “feeling of guilt” over the State government’s failure to prevent the terror strike. It should be investigated why Ms. Raje visited the SMS hospital in such a hurry, prior to Ms. Gandhi’s arrival there. The Chief Minister had been there twice already after the blasts,” Mr. Gehlot said. He alleged breach of security considerations on the part of the Chief Minister.

Ms. Raje had termed Ms. Gandhi’s visit a meaningless exercise, which did not benefit the affected people. Referring to her visit to Barmer at the time of floods two years ago, Ms. Raje asked, “What had come of it? The Centre gave nothing after that.”

Central circular

Mr. Gehlot reiterated the Congress stand that the Home Ministry had sent a circular to Rajasthan on possible targeting of tourist places by terrorists. “The State Government termed it a ‘routine’ communication but the fact is that the government here took it as routinely.”

He said, “The Jaipur attack was a challenge to the State’s police set-up. The blasts took place in the neighbourhood of the police headquarters and in the vicinity of some police stations.” He also said, “The police are a demoralised force in Rajasthan.”

On its part, the BJP government took exception to Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari referring to the Rajasthan situation as “8 p.m. no CM” in his media briefing in New Delhi two days ago. The Chief Minister was away in Jodhpur on the day of the blasts but she reached Jaipur the same evening, Rajendra Singh Rathore, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, explained.

“The UPA leaders are coming now as tourists. It is just a ritual,” he said. He demanded action against Mr. Tiwari for leaking a “top secret” circular from the Centre to the States during his media briefing.

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