Jaipur, July 24: Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Friday wrote a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot over his "Gherao Raj Bhavan" comment. In the letter, Kalraj Mishra condemned Ashok Gehlot for insisting him to convene the assembly session at a short notice. The Governor said, “Before I could discuss the matter with experts regarding Assembly session, you have publically said that if Raj Bhawan is 'gheraoed' then it is not your responsibility.”

Mishra also raised security concerns in the state. He asked Gehlot to clarify his position on the law and order situation after the gherao of the Raj Bhavan in Jaipur by Congress MLAs on Friday. Mishra stated, “If you & your Home Ministry can't protect Guv then what about law & order in State? What agency should be contacted for Governor's security? I've never heard such a statement from any CM. Is this not the beginning of a wrong trend where MLAs protest at Raj Bhawan?” Rajasthan Political Crisis: Kapil Sibal Lashes Out at Sachin Pilot, Says 'You Can't be CM With Support of 20-25 MLAs'.

Statement by Kalraj Mishra:

The Governor urged that the Congress government in Rajasthan should ensure free movement of all MLAs. The Governor's Secretariat in a statement said that the state government did not provide any justification for holding of the Session at short notice nor any agenda was proposed for the same.

It added that on the night of July 23, the state government presented a paper to convene the session of the Assembly at very short notice. "Twenty one-day notice is required for the session to be called according to normal procedures," said Rajasthan Governor's secretariat.

Earlier in the day, Congress MLAs staged a sit dharna outside Raj Bhawan demanding an assembly session. However, the governor has no responded so far to Gehlot's demand of holding the session within 48 hours. In the evening, the chief minister handed over a list of 102 MLAs who are supporting him to Mishra.

The demand for a special session comes as the Gehlot government is considering showing its majority, after the rebellion by a section of party MLAs led by Sachin Pilot. He was sacked as deputy chief minister of the state earlier this month.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 24, 2020 10:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).