Rajasthan Disaster Relief Minister’s resignation escalates political war-of-words

JAIPUR: Political tensions in Rajasthan have escalated as the state battles with severe flooding and heavy rains that have resulted in more than 30 deaths over the past week.

The crisis has intensified scrutiny of state officials, with a special focus on the confusion over the resignation of the Disaster Relief Minister, Dr. Kirori Lal Meena, which remains unaccepted.

Though Dr. Meena quit nearly two months ago, his resignation is yet to be accepted and has now become a central issue in the current rain-related crisis. Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot criticised the BJP government on Monday and questioned the exact status of the Disaster Relief Minister. Highlighting public confusion about the minister’s role during this critical time, Gehlot asserted, “With lives being lost due to the rain-related tragedies, it is essential that the public is informed whether the Disaster Relief Minister is still in office or if his resignation has been accepted.”

In response, BJP State President Madan Rathore assured that Dr. Meena would resume his duties shortly. However, confusion was further fueled by Dr. Meena’s social media activity; he briefly listed himself as a Cabinet Minister on the platform ‘X’ but soon retracted it.