With Vasundhara Raje in trouble over Lalit Modi controversy, the Rajasthan unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday came out in open support for the embattled chief minister who herself rubbished reports about a signature campaign by her to demonstrate backing of 120 MLAs.
While the central BJP continued to back her, state unit President Ashok Parnami held a press conference in Jaipur, saying that all allegations against Raje were "baseless" and mounted by the Congress to defame her.
"All allegations against Raje are baseless. By levelling such allegations, the Congress is indulging political vendetta against her and targeting decades-old family relations between her and Lalit Modi," Parnami said. He asserted that the BJP is fully with the chief minister, who has been elected by the MLAs.
Referring to the controversial 'affidavit' in support of Lalit Modi, he said the signature on it was that of Raje but it was only a "draft" which was never presented before any court or any other legal body in the United Kingdom.
"The chief minister has not appeared before any court or given any affidavit. The statement is not addressed to any court (in UK)," he insisted.
About the mention in that "draft" that the letter be kept confidential, Parnami said it was written deliberately "so that the ugly face of revenge by the Congress against Raje did not come before the international media, which was a clear possibility in the surcharged political atmosphere at that time (in 2011)."
Meanwhile, facing intense opposition heat, Raje dismissed media reports about a signature campaign by 120 party MLAs in her support.
In a statement, a CMO spokesman said the chief minister holds "jansunwai" (public hearing) at her residence every Friday, and for this many MLAs come with the public of their constituency for putting forward their problems and demands. "Similarly today (on Friday), the CM is holding public hearing in which MLAs and party workers are meeting", the spokesman said.
"The news of signature by 120 MLAs (in her support) is completely wrong. It is not fair to link public hearing with a different view", he said.
The CMO said the CM never asked or made any call to MLAs to show their strength and support.
As the Congress upped the ante pressing for Raje's removal, BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma told reporters in Delhi, "The BJP fully supports Vasundhara Raje who is our tallest leader in Rajasthan. The Congress is targeting our popular leaders and we stand by her."
Sharma's assertion came after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Jaitley, who on Thursday night said that "nobody is tainted", is understood to have discussed various aspects of the raging controversy including the legal implications and the political fallout.
The finance minister later had a meeting with BJP President Amit Shah and is believed to have deliberated upon the party's strategy to brazen out the massive row involving Raje as well as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.
Hitting back at the opposition for demanding Raje's resignation, Parnami asked whether former CM Ashok Gehlot had tendered his resignation over corruption charges levelled by his own MLAs. "Gehlot's son Vaibha Gehlot sold out Rs 100 share to a Mauritius-based company at Rs 40,000. Gehlot has also allocated valuable mines to his relatives," Parnami alleged, and questioned "how come Gehlot did not tender his resignation on these matters when these issues were exposed."
Raje, meanwhile, held her public hearing at 1000 hrs which was attended by hundreds of people at her residence.
A number of the chief minister's cabinet colleagues including R S Rathore, Yunus Khan, Krishnendra Kaur Deepa and MLAs, and the state BJP President were present during the hearing, the press advisor told PTI.
Image: Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje
