Rajasthan: Former home minister takes dig at Gehlot govt for failure to evict Vasundhara Raje

Source: indiatoday.in

Taking a swipe at Ashok Gehlot government, former Rajasthan home minister and senior BJP leader Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday claimed that the Congress was too lax to evict Vasundhara Raje from her official bungalow despite the high court order.

The Rajasthan High Court had, in a significant judgment on September 4, struck down Rajasthan Ministers’ Salaries (Amendment) Act, 2017. The order, it was believed, stopped former chief ministers of the state availing lifetime benefits on the government’s expense.

On being asked by Vasundhara Raje had not vacated her government bungalow after the court order, the BJP leader shifted the blame to the incumbent government.

“It is not my duty to make people vacate bungalows. It is everyone’s duty to follow the court’s verdict. But, if the government itself is being lax, then what can I do?” Gulab Chand Kataria told India Today TV.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had, after the high court’s order, said that the government will decide on whether former chief ministers will have to vacate the government bungalow or not on the basis of seniority.

As per an old law, former Rajasthan chief ministers, who served a full five-year-term, were entitled to government residence, telephone facility, a staff of 10 personnel for rest of their lives. However, these entitlements were struck down by the Rajasthan High Court.