A former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has alleged that during the 2020 political crisis in the state, he was instructed by Gehlot to track the phones and movements of rebel Congress MLAs, including Sachin Pilot. The OSD, Lokesh Sharma, claimed that he was also given a pen drive with recordings of phone calls between the rebels and instructed to share them with the media. The BJP has responded by calling Sharma a non-member of the organisation and claiming that he is acting on their instructions. This revelation has sparked legal troubles for Gehlot, as Sharma is facing criminal charges for his involvement in the leaked audio clips.
Political Crisis in Rajasthan: Former OSD Alleges Surveillance of Rebel Congress MLAs
Background
In July 2020, Rajasthan plunged into a political crisis when Sachin Pilot, a prominent Congress leader and former deputy chief minister, rebelled against Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Pilot and a group of dissident MLAs left the state capital and threatened to bring down the government.
Amidst the turmoil, a former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of Gehlot, Lokesh Sharma, has made startling allegations. Sharma claimed that during the crisis, he was instructed by Gehlot to track the phones and movements of the rebel MLAs, including Pilot.
Allegations
According to Sharma, Gehlot directed him to intercept the phone calls of the rebels and gather information about their conversations. He also alleged that Gehlot provided him with a pen drive containing recordings of these calls and instructed him to share them with the media.
Sharma further claimed that he was pressured by the government to implicate Pilot and the other MLAs in a conspiracy to topple the government.
BJP's Response
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has dismissed Sharma's allegations as baseless. The party's state president, Satish Poonia, claimed that Sharma is not a member of the BJP and is acting on the instructions of the Congress to malign Gehlot.
Legal Troubles for Gehlot
Sharma's allegations have sparked legal troubles for Gehlot. Sharma has been charged with criminal offenses for his alleged involvement in the leaked audio clips. The Rajasthan High Court has ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
FAQs
Lokesh Sharma is a former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
Sharma alleges that Gehlot ordered him to track the phones and movements of rebel Congress MLAs, including Sachin Pilot, and intercept their phone calls.
The BJP has dismissed the allegations as baseless and claimed that Sharma is acting on the instructions of the Congress.
Sharma's allegations have led to criminal charges against Gehlot for his alleged involvement in the leaked audio clips.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been ordered by the Rajasthan High Court to probe the matter.
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