Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday criticised political interference in the elections of Rajasthan Scouts and Guides and cancellation of the prestigious national jamboree, which was to be held in the State after 58 years. The previous Congress regime had decided to hold the event in the State and allocated Rs.10 crore for it.
Elections of the Rajasthan Scouts and Guides were held in a “one-sided manner” following interference and threats by the Chief Minister's Office and the State was deprived of the jamboree, which would have been a matter of pride for the people here, said Mr. Gehlot.
“It seems that the national jamboree has been cancelled because I was elected the national president of Scouts and Guides,” said he in a statement. Had the event been organised in the State, the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister and other dignitaries would have participated in it.
After the previous Congress government took the decision in 2012-13 for holding the jamboree, the present regime sanctioned some money for it. Later, a decision was taken at the Chief Minister's level to cancel it and the Karnataka government was requested to organise it there in January next year, said Mr. Gehlot, while terming the decision unfortunate.
“There should be no scope for politics in a body like Scouts and Guides, which is an organisation of youths espousing discipline, patriotism and service to the nation. This act has adversely affected the image of the State government, but it does not seem to be bothered,” he said.
The former Chief Minister alleged that all the candidates in the election to the State Scouts and Guides were compelled to withdraw their nomination papers in order to appoint an Indian Administrative Service officer, retiring next year, as its Commissioner. “Even the rules laying down qualifications for contesting the polls were changed and another IAS officer, who is a member of the national executive, was stopped from fighting election.”
Mr. Gehlot regretted that though Scouts and Guides was functioning as a popular institution in 200 countries, attempts were being made to raise “Hindustan Scouts” as a parallel organisation, which would be against the principles and ideology of the parent body. Similar attempts were made during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee regime, he noted.
The State government's Education Department had even given instructions to the District Education Officers to run this unauthorised organisation, said Mr. Gehlot, adding that it was most unfortunate. (EOM)
