Maderna next on Gehlot’s target: Min Shekhawat

Jodhpur: Union cabinet minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday said that CM Ashok Gehlot’s next target after sacking Rajendra Singh Gudha as minister would be Congress MLA Divya Maderna, who also spoke the truth about lack of safety of women in Rajasthan.“The CM does not like any person, be it from his party or outside, for daring to speak the truth about the dignity of women,” Shekhawat said, adding that many other legislators would be sacked in the coming days for speaking the truth against the Gehlot government.“Gudha’s termination shows that the Gehlot government will muzzle every voice raised for the security and dignity of women in the state,” the Union minister said.Maderna had made a statement before the media in Jaipur of her own lack of safety after she was not allowed to raise the issue of the murder of four members of a family from her constituency, Osian, in the state assembly on July 19.Shekhawat said Gehlot should first answer if the dignity of women in Rajasthan was in danger or not, and if an average of 17 rapes daily were being reported in the state or not.“If yes, then why punitive action was taken against the one who voiced the truth?” he asked, referring to Gudha. “Next in the line to bear the brunt of termination will be my younger sister for raising the voice against her own government,” Shekhawat said, referring to Maderna’s statement that even she feared for her safety. The Union minister further targeted Gehlot over the minimum gauranteed income bill passed by the state assembly. With barely three months left for the assembly polls, the guarantee has been given by a government which itself has no guarantee of returning to power, said Shekhawat.He added, “Who had stopped them from bringing this bill earlier?”