The alleged Rs 2.43 crore fertilizer-seed bribery scandal in Rajasthan's Agriculture Department has caused a political earthquake in the state. While Congress is demanding the resignation of Agriculture Minister Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena, RLP supremo Hanuman Beniwal has come out in his open support.
Beniwal Defends Meena
During a press conference in Jaipur, Hanuman Beniwal described Dr. Kirodi Lal Meena as a leader with a clean image. He stated that he has known Meena for a long time and the corruption allegations against him are baseless.
"I have been with Dr. Sahab (Kirodi Lal Meena) for a very long time. No person in Rajasthan who knows him closely can even dream that his name could be directly involved in such financial transactions."
Beniwal alleged that this could be a conspiracy to deliberately frame Meena. He said that if a minister is responsible for departmental irregularities, then similar action should be taken in other scams as well.
Accusations of Selective Action by Government
MP Beniwal put Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma's government completely in the dock. He accused the government of taking action only in selected cases and working under the pressure of the bureaucracy.
'Take Action Against Half a Dozen Ministers Too'
Beniwal questioned the Chief Minister, asking why he is silent on the serious allegations against half a dozen other ministers if the standard for action against corruption is the same for everyone.
He made serious allegations, such as Minister KK Bishnoi's name appearing in the SI paper leak case, Minister Kanhaiyalal Choudhary giving tenders to relatives, and Minister Jogaram Patel making his son the Advocate General.
Additionally, he also targeted Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham and Health Minister Gajendra Singh. Beniwal said that there is massive corruption in the health department.
This entire episode has heated up Rajasthan's politics. Beniwal's allegations have pushed the Bhajanlal government onto the back foot, increasing the pressure on it for a fair investigation in all cases.
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