Bhilwara: AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot Friday reacted to former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje’s recent remarks on maintaining civility in politics, saying that “when a person is in office, his tone is different, and when the post goes away or is taken away, the tone is different.”Pilot’s remarks came in response to Raje’s statement that, “Be fiercely hostile, but leave some room. Keep a window open so that whenever you encounter each other, you won’t be embarrassed.” His comments could also be interpreted as a veiled reference to former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, with whom Pilot has a long-standing political rivalry.Emphasising the need for dignity in public life, Pilot said he always believed that political leaders should set an example through their conduct and language. “Even if there is opposition, it should be strong, firm, principled and ideological,” he said.Criticising the growing trend of personal attacks in politics, Pilot said, “Nowadays the politics that has emerged is of making personal comments. Write anything about anyone on social media, abuse each other. This is not sending any good message to society in a democracy.”He added that political persons should act with wisdom and conduct themselves in a manner that sets a positive example for society.Pilot also demanded the resignation of the Union education minister over the NEET paper leak issue and accused the Rajasthan govt of failing in education, healthcare and law and order.Speaking to reporters during his two-day visit to Tonk district, Pilot referred to Sonam Wangchuk’s hunger strike at Jantar Mantar and said the Centre should take his demands seriously. He alleged that repeated paper leaks undermined the education system and said those responsible were not being held accountable.“Our entire party is committed to improving the education system. Education is crucial for the country’s youth, but the Centre is not addressing their concerns. It has become full of arrogance and pride. The govt has not had any dialogue with Sonam Wangchuk. The Union education minister should resign without delay,” Pilot said.Referring to recent maternal deaths in Rajasthan, Pilot alleged that the state’s healthcare system collapsed and criticised the govt for transferring junior officials instead of fixing systemic issues. He said no one was held accountable and accused the govt of responding irresponsibly.Pilot also alleged that the state govt was carrying out employee transfers with a sense of vendetta and promoting a particular ideology through administrative decisions. He said politics should not be reduced to personal attacks.
