JAIPUR: Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Friday played down Rajasthan AICC in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah a day earlier, calling it “highly regrettable and inappropriate” to unnecessarily give a political colour to it.Gehlot said the meeting was a normal and essential process linked to Randhawa and his family’s security, calling it the govt’s moral and constitutional responsibility in view of threats faced by the Congress senior and his kin. He said Randhawa and his family have been receiving threats because of their stand in national interest.Randhawa’s meeting with Shah fuelled talk of discontent within the Punjab Congress and triggered speculation amid reported unhappiness over organisational changes ahead of next year’s assembly elections. Randhawa dismissed the speculation, saying the meeting was solely about security-related issues.In a post on X, Gehlot said Randhawa’s family is among Punjab’s most respected families. “His father and former Punjab Congress state president Santokh Singh Randhawa openly stood for the country’s unity and integrity without fear during the period of unrest in Punjab. He was among the few politicians who raised their voice against extremism from public platforms,” Gehlot wrote. “Carrying forward this very legacy of his father, Randhawa has also always adopted an extremely tough stance against anti-national forces. As Punjab’s home minister, he also took strict action against such people.”
