Sikar, May 15 (PTI) BJP leader Vasundhara Raje on Monday said former Rajasthan chief minister the late Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had cordial relations with leaders of other parties, but that does not mean he "colluded" with them.

She said whenever it came to the interest of the BJP, he stood against them like a rock.

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The statement assumes significance amid allegations of "collusion" between Raje and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of the Congress.

Nagaur MP and RLP convenor Hanuman Beniwal openly accuses Raje and Gehlot of having a "collusion".

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Dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot also targeted Gehlot for his statement that Raje helped save his government during the 2020 rebellion by Pilot and 18 other Congress MLAs.

A few days ago, Raje had rejected the allegations of collusion with Gehlot as a lie, saying milk and lemon juice never mix.

Gehlot also said his statement given in Dholpur regarding "help" by Raje in saving his government was misinterpreted. Gehlot said what he stated in the Dholpur rally in the context of Raje was something that he had "heard".

Today, while addressing a programme in Sikar's Khachariyawas village on the death anniversary of Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, who served as chief minister of Rajasthan for multiple terms, Raje said when he was in America for a heart surgery, an "operation" was going on in Jaipur to topple his government.

However, the Congress did not succeed in it, she said.

Contrary to the claim, Congress leader Ashok Gehlot, who was PCC chief at that time, alleges that "BJP leaders" were conspiring to topple the Shekhawat government when he was undergoing treatment.

Raje said Shekhawat had cordial relations with politicians of all parties but that does not mean he colluded with them. "Whenever it came to the organisation, he used to stand against them like a rock."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)