What is Rajasthan’s infamous ‘red diary’? Will its ‘secrets’ hurt the Ashok Gehlot government?

Sacked Rajasthan minister Rajendra Singh Gudha has again raked up the “red diary”, which, as per him, contains details of alleged irregular financial transactions that could implicate Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Addressing the media on Wednesday (2 August), the Congress MLA from Udaipurwati claimed the diary has information about corruption within Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). Reading parts of the diary in front of the mediapersons, he claimed it was written by Congress leader Dharmendra Rathore. What has Rajendra Singh Gudha said about the red diary? Can it hurt the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan? Let’s take a closer look. The ‘secrets’ of Rajasthan’s ‘red diary’ Gudha has alleged corruption in RCA, which is headed by Rajasthan chief minister’s son Vaibhav Gehlot. The notes purportedly from the diary, as read by Gudha, said: “Vaibhav ji (Ashok Gehlot’s son) and I (Rathore) spoke about the spending on the RCA election.” ABP News says the excerpts shared by the expelled Rajasthan minister also mentioned RCA honourary secretary Bhawani Shankar Samota. As per the video shared by ANI, Gudha can be heard saying that Samota “did not pay money” to the people he had promised. The politician declared he will release more details from the ‘red diary’ gradually.

#WATCH | Jaipur: Rajendra Gudha, Former Rajasthan minister & Congress leader while reading some pages of a red diary made allegations of corruption in RCA.

He also expressed his apprehension about going to jail and says, "Even if I go to jail, there will be new revelations in… pic.twitter.com/D730ZNNcgU

— ANI (@ANI) August 2, 2023

Gudha said he tried to present the ‘red diary’ in the Rajasthan Assembly but it was “snatched away” from him. On 24 July, the Udaipurwati MLA was marshalled out of the House for creating a ruckus. The former minister had claimed he was “punched and dragged” out of the Assembly by Congress leaders. He also accused the Rajasthan government of “blackmailing” him and pressuring him to issue an apology. “Even if I go to jail, there will be new revelations in the diary. Corruption details are there in this diary. The red diary contains all the proofs of corruption done by the Ashok Gehlot government. They are planning to file false cases against me,” Gudha said, as per ANI. While speaking about the ‘ red diary ’ previously, Gudha had said: “The diary has details of all the financial transactions which happened in do number (black money)… Who was given money for cricket (association) elections, Rajya Sabha, which MLA got how much money during the political crisis (in 2020)….”, reported Indian Express. He claimed he had retrieved the diary from the residence of Dharmendra Rathore when it was raided by the Income Tax department in 2020, on the “instructions” of Gehlot. Gudha further said that the Rajasthan chief minister would have been in jail if he had not secured the diary. According to him, this diary has details of alleged bribes given by the Gehlot camp to MLAs, Independents and others to save the Rajasthan government during the 2020 rebellion led by Sachin Pilot, reported NDTV. Gudha has been talking about the red diary ever since he was axed as a minister for criticising the Gehlot government over crimes against women in Rajasthan. Can the ‘red diary’ affect the Gehlot government? The Congress has rebuffed Gudha’s claims, with chief minister Gehlot accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of doing politics over an “imaginary” diary. “I heard the PM’s (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) speech in Sikar about a red diary. The post of PM has dignity. They have I-T (Income Tax), ED (Enforcement Directorate), CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) — which they are misusing in the whole country. Can they not get information about this diary? They have made such a big deal out of intentionally, the way the minister who was with us was made a pawn, 50-60 diaries were waved in the Assembly. I heard these 50-60 diaries were also waved in Parliament,” the Rajasthan chief minister had said on 27 July, as per Indian Express. He also said that the BJP is “panicking” ahead of the Rajasthan Assembly elections slated later this year and thus making “baseless allegations”. [caption id=“attachment_12950082” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot has hit out at the BJP over the ‘red diary’, saying it does not exist. PTI File Photo[/caption] The chief minister’s remarks had come hours after prime minister Modi’s comments at a public meeting in Rajasthan’s Sikar where he raised the issue of the ‘red diary’. Modi said that the “dark deeds” of the Congress government in the state had been recorded in the diary, which would ensure its defeat in the upcoming Assembly polls. Taking a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s “mohabbat ki dukaan” slogan, Modi said, “The latest product of ‘loot ki dukaan, jhoot ki dukaan’ (store of loot and lies) is the red diary. It is being said that it contains secrets about Congress’s corruption. This red diary will ruin the Congress in the polls,” reported NDTV. Referring to the ‘red diary’, BJP chief JP Nadda, as per PTI, said recently, “This is not Gehlot government but ‘Greh-loot’ government. The CM is looting his house to please his bosses in Delhi”. The Congress has alleged “coordination” between Gudha and the BJP over the red diary issue. However, Gudha has said he will fight elections “against” the saffron party. With inputs from agencies