Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to poll-bound Rajasthan on Thursday, state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has posted a tweet wherein he accused the PM’s office of removing his speech.
Gehlot in Hindi wrote “Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,
Today you are visiting Rajasthan. Your office PMO has removed my pre-scheduled 3-minute address from the program, so I will not be able to welcome you through speech, so I heartily welcome you to Rajasthan through this tweet”.
Further, Gehlot listed various demands that “I would have put forward through my speech at the programme” and hoped that the prime minister would fulfill them during his “seventh visit (to the state) in six months”.
Gehlot demanded the withdrawal of the Agniveer scheme for recruitment in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
The Rajasthan government has waived cooperative bank loans worth ₹15,000 crore for 21 lakh farmers. It has sent a one-time settlement proposal to the Centre to waive nationalised bank loans and offered to pay farmers’ shares. This demand should be fulfilled, he said.
The chief minister also said the Rajasthan Assembly has passed a resolution for conducting a caste census and sent it to the central government.
The Centre should decide on this without any delay, he added.
Gehlot also demanded national project status for the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).
Following Gehlot’s tweet, Prime Minister Modi cleared the confusion and invited him to the event. The office account of PM Modi’s office on Twitter wrote, ” Ashok Gehlot ji, in accordance with protocol, you have been duly invited and your speech was also slotted. But, your office said you will not be able to join. During PM’s previous visits as well you have always been invited and you have also graced those programmes with your presence.
You are most welcome to join today’s programme. Your name is very much there on the plaque of the development works as well.
Unless you have any physical discomfort owing to your recent injury, your presence will be deeply valued”.
PM Modi will be in Sikar, Rajasthan on Thursday. The PM will dedicate 1.25 lakh PM Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PMKSK) to the nation and launch “Urea Gold”. PM Modi will inaugurate six Eklavya Model Residential Schools located in Udaipur, Banswara, Pratapgarh, and Dungarpur districts of Rajasthan. He will also inaugurate Kendriya Vidyalaya Tiwari, Jodhpur during the programme.