By IANS,
Jaipur: Launching a scathing attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot Friday challenged the opposition to prove corruption charges against him.
He accused them of stirring up false allegations of corruption and said that he will not take a second to quit the office if proven guilty.
Addressing a state convention of the National Student Union of India (NSUI) on its 40th foundation day here Friday, Gehlot castigated the opposition on various issues.
He dared the former chief minister, Vasundhara Raje Scindia, to level the charges in writing and to provide proof and evidences of corruption against him.
“If any charges of favouritism to my family are proven right, I will not remain chief minister for a second,” Gehlot said.
The chief minister claimed he was staunchly against nepotism and favouritism.
Dubbing the corruption charges as baseless, Gehlot said that as a committed politician he is also trustee of the people and cannot afford to cheat them by being corrupt or encouraging nepotism.
“I have been holding offices at the centre and state since 1981 and my family never used any official vehicle or machinery,” he stressed.
The opposition BJP had accused the Gehlot government of awarding heavy-infrastructure works and hotel building contracts to firms which had employed his son, Vaibhav Gehlot as a legal consultant.
Allegations were also levelled against Gehlot for allegedly benefitting his daughter and son-in-law, both residents of Mumbai.