The political upheaval in Rajasthan seems to be growing by the hour and the turmoil has turned into a full-fledged drama with unexpected twists and turns. The latest in this political drama is growing condemnation of the recent action by CM Ashok Gehlot to use the sedition law against two people who had allegedly spearheaded the horse-trading process which is at the centre of the Rajasthan political conspiracy.
It is in this context that the PUCL has raised critical observations and asked questions on whether CM Ashok Gehlot led Congress government in the state should have really used the sedition law in this regard. This matter is associated with FIRs that had been filed by Congress leader Mahesh Josh under Section 120 B and 124 A(sedition) of the IPC.
In these FIRs it was clearly mentioned that two mobile phones were intercepted which allegedly brought forward conversations between the Congress and the BJP for purchasing the former’s MLAs in order to dethrone CM Ashok Gehlot. The phone records allegedly also had the speakers say that Sachin Pilot desired to lead the state after toppling the Gehlot government.
Later both CM Gehlot and the erstwhile Deputy CM Sachin Pilot were asked to come and record their statements in this regard. After the usage of sedition law came into limelight, the PUCL said that it was a misuse of the law and that it should not have been used like this.
It also made a suggestion and said that given the high-intensity political turmoil in Rajasthan, the government could have chosen a better alternative such as the Prevention of Corruption Act to address the issues within the party and raise an alarm over the alleged horse-trading of its MLAs.
