Haryana police stop Rajasthan cops from entering rebels' hotel in Gurgaon

Gurgaon : A Special Operations Group (SOG) team of Rajasthan Police was stopped and made to wait by Haryana police from entering a hotel in Gurgaon, where rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot, and 18 dissident MLAs are camping since last Saturday.

The team had arrived at the hotel in Manesar in BJP-ruled Haryana to collect voice samples of some of the dissident MLAs. FIRs were lodged in connection with two audio clips in which some people are allegedly heard discussing plans to topple the Congress government in the state.

The Rajasthan High Court division bench, that was hearing a petition filed by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot’s camp against the disqualification notices issued to them, directed the state Assembly Speaker not to take any action on the rebel MLAs till Tuesday 5.30 pm. 

The court said it would resume the hearing on Monday 10 am. The Speaker was expected to take up the matter at 5 pm today.

The notices were served after the ruling party complained to the Speaker that the MLAs had defied a party whip to attend two Congress Legislature Party meetings, on Monday and Tuesday.

However, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday dismissed the allegations that he was involved in any conspiracy to topple the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan. 

“It is not my voice. I don’t know which Sanjay Jain they are talking about. I know many people in that name. If I had talked to someone, my number should be there. You can conduct a probe. I am ready for an investigation,” Shekhawat said.