Jaipur: Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot Friday rebutted BJP state president Madan Rathore over his suggestion that Gehlot should retire to a “sanyas ashram” after the age of 75, asserting that he intends to remain in public service till the age of 100.Gehlot, who will turn 75 in May, dismissed the remark as misplaced and said age cannot be a criterion for political relevance. “I have already said, this will apply to Modiji (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) or RSS’s Mohan Bhagwat ji, it will apply to them. Gandhiji had said he wanted to serve for 125 years, but the extremists murdered him. I said, I want to serve the people of the state, the people of the country, for 100 years. So, this cannot apply to me,” he said. The senior Congress leader also questioned the intent behind Rathore’s statement, alleging that BJP leaders were avoiding key issues raised by the opposition. “How can they tell Congress leaders what they should do and what they should not do? They are not answering the issues we have raised against them and are giving evasive answers,” Gehlot said. Referring to questions raised under what he termed “Intezaar Shastra,” Gehlot accused the ruling party of deflecting debate. “At least give some answer to the questions we have asked — say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. But how can you answer by changing the context? This is what these people are doing,” he added. Rathore’s remarks triggered a sharp political reaction within the Congress, further intensifying the ongoing war of words between the ruling BJP and the opposition in Rajasthan.
