Gehlot accuses Rajasthan government of failing on law and order
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Monday criticised the state's BJP government at a press conference in Ajmer, alleging that law and order had deteriorated and crimes against women, including rape cases, were rising. He said people were struggling for drinking water during the heatwave and buying tankers at exorbitant prices. Gehlot claimed RGHS payments to hospitals were pending, affecting patients and pensioners, and alleged local body and panchayat polls were being delayed. He backed Rahul Gandhi's questions on NEET.
Source
Rajasthan — CM & govt · read the original report ↗
Desk check · some claims need care
What the desk checked (5)
- Crimes against women, including rape cases, are rising in Rajasthan — Allegation attributed to Gehlot; no figures or official data given in source
- People are buying water tankers at exorbitant prices amid heatwave — Attributed to Gehlot; no prices, locations or independent confirmation in source
- Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS) payments to hospitals are pending — Claim attributed to Gehlot; no amounts or official confirmation in source
- State government is delaying local body and panchayat elections out of fear — Speculative allegation by Gehlot; no government response included
- Rahul Gandhi's questions on NEET and exam management are justified — Opinion attributed to Gehlot; source cites no evidence of irregularities
Analysts’ view opinion
This is less a one-off press conference than a preview of the campaign frame Congress appears set to run in Rajasthan through the coming local body polls: law and order, drinking water, health payments and delayed elections. Gehlot is deliberately turning the BJP's own "double-engine government" slogan into a stick, pushing an unfulfilled-promises narrative. Choosing Ajmer as the venue and publicly backing Rahul Gandhi's questions on NEET lets him assert state-level command and alignment with the central leadership in the same breath.
- Speaking as a former chief minister rather than a generic opposition voice, Gehlot is contrasting his own record (Annapurna, RGHS) with alleged current failures.
- The RGHS payments issue is politically sharp because pensioners and government employees are an organised constituency whose discontent can show up at the ballot box.
- The charge that the government is postponing local body and panchayat elections builds a low-cost, high-yield "afraid of the voter" narrative for Congress.
- Endorsing Rahul Gandhi on NEET links state grievances to a national campaign plank and also signals Gehlot's continued standing within the party.
- Expect the BJP to counter by attributing these problems to the previous government's legacy, and to raise exam paper leaks and crime figures from Gehlot's own tenure.
What to watch — Whether dates for local body and panchayat elections are announced soon — that will be the immediate test of how much political traction these charges gain.
These are Gehlot's allegations only; the story carries no independent verification of rising crime, water shortages or pending RGHS dues, and no response from the state government.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 2 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
Former Rajasthan chief minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot held a press conference in Ajmer to attack the state's BJP government, which he referred to as a "double-engine government". His charges covered law and order, crimes against women, drinking water supply during the ongoing heatwave, pending payments under the Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS), and the alleged delay in local body and panchayat elections. He also endorsed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's questions on NEET and examination management. The remarks form part of the Congress opposition's critique of governance in Rajasthan after it lost power to the BJP.
Key facts
- Gehlot addressed a press conference in Ajmer on Monday, attacking the BJP state government in Rajasthan.
- He alleged law and order had deteriorated and that crimes against women, including rape cases, were rising in the state.
- He said people across several parts of Rajasthan were struggling for drinking water amid the ongoing heatwave and buying tankers at exorbitant prices.
- He claimed payments under the Rajasthan Government Health Scheme (RGHS) to hospitals were pending, affecting patients and pensioners.
- Gehlot cited the continued use of bags distributed under the Annapurna scheme of his tenure as proof of the lasting impact of his government's welfare initiatives.
- He said the questions raised by Rahul Gandhi on NEET and examination management were justified, adding that irregularities had affected the future of lakhs of students.
- He alleged the state government was delaying local body and panchayat elections because it was 'afraid of holding elections'.
- He said the public had high expectations from the 'double-engine government' but many promises remain unfulfilled.
Timeline
- Gehlot's tenure as chief minister (dates not stated in the source)Welfare schemes such as the Annapurna scheme and the Rajasthan Government Health Scheme era initiatives referenced by Gehlot were introduced.
- Monday (exact date not stated in the source)Gehlot addresses a press conference in Ajmer alleging failures on law and order, water supply, healthcare payments and delayed local polls.
Who has a stake
- Ashok Gehlot, former Rajasthan chief minister — Leads the Congress critique of the BJP government's governance record and defends the legacy of his own welfare schemes.
- BJP government of Rajasthan — Faces allegations of failing on law and order, drinking water supply, healthcare payments and of delaying local body and panchayat elections.
- Women in Rajasthan — Alleged rise in crimes against them, including rape cases, is central to the law and order charge.
- Patients and pensioners using RGHS — Allegedly facing difficulty in accessing treatment because hospital payments under the scheme remain outstanding.
- Residents in water-scarce areas — Reportedly forced to buy water tankers at high prices during the heatwave in the absence of relief.
- Students appearing for competitive exams such as NEET — Gehlot says alleged irregularities in examinations have affected the future of lakhs of students.
- Rahul Gandhi and the Congress — Gehlot's backing strengthens the party's national campaign on examination irregularities.
Why it matters
The charges touch basic state-level deliverables — policing, drinking water in a heatwave, reimbursement to hospitals under a state health scheme, and the constitutional requirement of timely local body elections. Whether local and panchayat polls are held on time is a test of decentralised democracy, while pending RGHS dues directly affect treatment access for pensioners and patients. The exchange also shows how state governance grievances are being linked to the Congress's national campaign on examination irregularities.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- Ashok Gehlot is a former Chief Minister of Rajasthan and a senior Congress leader; the state is currently governed by the BJP.
- RGHS stands for Rajasthan Government Health Scheme, which covers treatment for beneficiaries including pensioners.
- Annapurna scheme bags, distributed during Gehlot's tenure, were cited by him as an example of his government's welfare legacy.
- 'Double-engine government' refers to the same party being in power at the Centre and in the state.
- NEET is the national entrance examination whose alleged irregularities Rahul Gandhi has questioned; Gehlot called those questions justified.
- Gehlot alleged local body and panchayat elections in Rajasthan were being delayed by the state government.
Mains framing
Gehlot's Ajmer press conference bundles together four distinct governance questions: internal security and the safety of women, drought-and-heatwave-time water supply, fiscal health of a state-funded health assurance scheme, and the timeliness of local self-government elections. Each has a structural dimension beyond partisan claim-making — rising reported crime against women raises questions of policing capacity and registration practices; dependence on private water tankers during heatwaves reflects gaps in piped supply and contingency planning; pending reimbursements under a scheme like RGHS erode hospital participation and, ultimately, patient access; and deferral of panchayat and municipal polls weakens the decentralised tier of democracy. The way forward suggested by such a critique is transparency in crime and relief data, timely release of scheme dues so that empanelled hospitals continue treatment, heatwave-specific water contingency arrangements, and adherence to the election calendar for local bodies. Since all these claims come from an opposition leader, an answer must weigh them against the government's response, which is not stated in the source.
Key terms
- RGHS (Rajasthan Government Health Scheme)
- State health scheme under which hospitals treat beneficiaries including pensioners and are reimbursed by the government.
- Annapurna scheme
- Welfare initiative from Gehlot's tenure under which bags were distributed, cited by him as evidence of lasting impact.
- Double-engine government
- Political phrase for the same party ruling both at the Centre and in the state, implying faster development.
- NEET
- National entrance examination for medical admissions, whose alleged irregularities Rahul Gandhi has questioned.
- Local body and panchayat elections
- Polls to urban local bodies and rural panchayats, which Gehlot alleges are being delayed by the state government.
Practice questions
- Delays in local body and panchayat elections weaken the third tier of governance. Discuss with reference to the allegations raised in Rajasthan.
- Examine how pending reimbursements under state health assurance schemes affect access to treatment for patients and pensioners.
- Heatwaves expose the fragility of drinking water delivery in Indian states. Suggest measures for contingency water supply planning.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.