Former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to ex-Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Lokesh Sharma, has set off a political firestorm with startling allegations against Gehlot. In a press conference, Sharma revealed that he was directly provided with audio clips allegedly exposing a conspiracy to topple the government, which were then circulated to the media. These revelations have reignited the phone tapping controversy that rocked Rajasthan politics in 2020, leading to significant ramifications within the state’s political landscape.
Extremely damaging and embarrassing disclosures by the former OSD to then Congress CM Ashok Gehlot, alleges
– PAPER LEAKS happened under Gehlot's knowledge
-He was asked by the former CM to circulate a pen drive alleging Sachin Pilot conspiring with the BJP of toppling his govt… pic.twitter.com/vTMWxRFQHF
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) April 25, 2024
Sharma’s accusations have shed light on the internal workings of the Gehlot administration, raising questions about political manipulation and ethics within the Rajasthan Congress. The audio clips in question, circulated in July 2020, purportedly revealed conversations hinting at a plot to lure MLAs from Gehlot’s camp, implicating Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and other BJP members. However, Sharma’s revelation now implicates Gehlot himself in orchestrating the dissemination of these clips, challenging the narrative that the BJP was solely responsible for the alleged conspiracy.
#WATCH | Jaipur: Lokesh Sharma, OSD to former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot accuses the latter of tapping phones of his party leaders trying to 'topple' his government in the state.
He says, "… Till today, I kept telling everyone that I received those audio clips from social… pic.twitter.com/XCfTPh33Sq
— ANI (@ANI) April 25, 2024
According to Sharma, Gehlot’s Personal Security Officer (PSO) handed him a pen drive containing the incriminating audio clips and instructed him to distribute them to the media. This revelation contradicts previous claims that Sharma obtained the clips from social media. Sharma’s statement implicates Gehlot in a strategy to frame the BJP and discredit his political opponents.
Lokesh Sharma, Ashok Gehlot’s former OSD, speaks on how Gehlot, in order to save his Govt, tapped Sachin Pilot and other’s phone, and made it appear as if Gajendra Singh Sekhawat and the BJP tried to topple his Govt.
Lokesh Sharma : “Earlier, I had said that I had received the… pic.twitter.com/AsxTj6zAqn
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 25, 2024
The resurgence of this controversy comes at a critical juncture, as Rajasthan has already witnessed political upheaval in recent years. The fallout from the phone tapping scandal of 2020 contributed to the downfall of the Gehlot government in the subsequent assembly elections. Moreover, Gehlot’s involvement in the paper leak case and allegations of corruption further tarnish his administration’s reputation.
In response to Sharma’s accusations, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has filed an FIR against him, following a complaint lodged by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. This development indicates the escalating legal and political ramifications of Sharma’s revelations, with potential implications for both Gehlot and his political adversaries.
