Those who want to join BJP may leave fast: Ashok Gehlot

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], March 1 (ANI): Amid multiple exits of leaders from the Congress party, former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that it will be better for the party if those who want to leave do so quickly.
"Those who want to join the BJP, please leave fast...If they delay, we get confused...Those who want to leave (Congress) may be under some compulsion of their own. There is harassment from the Income Tax, CBI, ED. What can we do, if someone wants to go. It is not right to stop people forcefully," Gehlot said in a press conference on Friday.
Hitting out at the Bhajan Lal Sharma government in Rajasthan, Gehlot said that it appears as if it is being operated through remote control.
"Power is being operated through remote control. This is against the democratic system. We believe that no matter which party the government belongs to, the role of the elected Chief Minister should be important on matters related to policy making, governance and administration," the former Chief Minister said.
Criticising the BJP government for stopping the Rajiv Gandhi Yuva Mitra program in Rajasthan, Gehlot said, "By ending the Rajiv Gandhi Yuva Mitra program just because of political animosity, the BJP government has taken away employment from 5000 youth."
"Our demand is that this program should be restarted in the interest of the youth who are forced to commit suicide and protest due to loss of employment," he added.
The senior Congress leader also claimed that the agreement on Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) is being kept hidden by the state government.
"The MoU on ERCP that the BJP government has signed in Delhi is nowhere on the ground. Not only this, false celebrations are being held by hiding the points of this agreement from the public, media and opposition," Gehlot said. (ANI)