Jodhpur, Jun 27 (PTI) Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday hit back at former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, saying the Congress leader miserably failed in his attempt to defame him by dragging his name into the Sanjivani Credit Co-operative Society case only to build his son's political career.

Taking to X, Shekhawat said even the high court found him not guilty and that Gehlot himself knew very well that he was innocent.

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The response of Shekhawat has come after Gehlot, who has been in Jodhpur for the past four days, called upon Shekhawat to come and look into the Sanjivani Cooperative Society scam.

Shekhawat is a Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur.

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"He (Shekhawat) is part of the government and cabinet minister at the Centre. He should come forward and we all should talk about it. If he is innocent, as he claimed, we will be happy," said Gehlot.

He further said many persons, who had deposited their money expecting handsome returns, have been suffering for a long time.

"I do not aim to target anyone. My concern is only how to resolve their issue and provide relief to those who are in trouble," Gehlot said.

Reacting to dragging his name in the Sanjivani scam repeatedly, Shekhawat said, "If chanting my name and burning my effigy somehow helps you regain some relevance in your own party after becoming irrelevant due to the BJP's massive victory, then I will take that too as doing you another favour."

(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)