Jaipur, Oct 13 — Rajasthan Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Madan Rathore on Tuesday criticised Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's conduct during recent protests, alleging that his behaviour towards women police personnel and female journalists was inappropriate.
He said that political leaders should maintain dignity and responsibility in their public conduct, particularly when holding important constitutional and political positions.
Rathore added that freedom of expression was an essential feature of democracy, but it should be exercised within the bounds of democratic decorum.
He alleged that Rahul Gandhi's conduct had undermined the dignity associated with the office of the Leader of Opposition.
"We have also spent years in the Opposition, but we upheld democratic standards. The manner in which democratic decorum is being undermined today is a matter of concern," Rathore said.
Reacting to former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's remarks, the State BJP Chief said that Gehlot should use his political experience to advise fellow Congress leaders to acknowledge their mistakes and correct their conduct rather than defend them.
He asked whether Gehlot's position was intended to damage the public image of Rahul Gandhi and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, thereby improving his own prospects of becoming the Congress Chief.
Rathore also referred to Gehlot's earlier claim that Sachin Pilot had prevented him from taking up the national leadership role.
Commenting on Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara, the BJP leader said he was indulging in wishful thinking.
He asserted that political parties could not function by relying solely on bureaucrats and alleged that the Congress was facing the consequences of such an approach.
"The BJP conducts politics on the strength of its workers, its mass base, ideology, policies and record of development," Rathore said.
Rejecting the Opposition's allegations regarding the state's law and order situation, the State BJP Chief added that the BJP government was taking impartial action in criminal cases.
He said police acted promptly whenever a crime was reported and arrested the accused as required.
The BJP government, he added, would not protect criminals, irrespective of their position or influence.
Rathore said action would also be taken against police personnel found guilty of misconduct.
He added that the law applied equally to everyone and that decisions would be based on the findings of investigations.
He also said there should be no political interference in criminal investigations and that no attempt would be made to shield those found guilty.
On the upcoming Panchayat elections, Rathore added that Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and other senior BJP leaders had begun preparations well before the election process.
"Senior BJP leaders had visited various districts and regions to interact with the public, while the party organisation had formulated its strategy keeping the entire state in view."
He said that party workers, MLAs, MPs and local leaders were reaching out to voters to highlight the state government's achievements, development initiatives and welfare schemes.
Rathore welcomed the decision to hold the elections simultaneously, saying that although the multi-phase electoral process could limit the availability of senior leaders for campaigning, the BJP's organisational strength would ensure an effective campaign at the local level.
He added that local workers and elected representatives would take responsibility for campaigning and mobilising public support.
Rathore said the BJP had performed well in the recent local body elections and was confident of securing public support in the Panchayat polls as well.
He said candidates had been selected after assessing public expectations and reviewing their suitability.
Party workers who were not given tickets would be assigned appropriate responsibilities within the organisation, Rathore added.
He said the BJP would contest the elections unitedly and expressed confidence that the party would secure a strong mandate on the strength of its organisational network, dedicated workers, development initiatives and public welfare programmes.