Ashok Gehlot

New Delhi, Sept. 22: The Congress high command has put Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on notice after it emerged that the state government tried to mislead the party on last week’s communal violence in which nine Muslims died.

The state government’s cover-up bid was exposed by a party delegation, which found evidence of police excesses and failure of the administration to contain the clashes in Bharatpur and Gopalgarh.

Sources in the party said Sonia Gandhi was angry and had asked the chief minister to take stern action against the guilty officials. Even the state home minister, Shanti Dharival, may be asked to resign. Gehlot visited Delhi last week to explain his position but the central leaders were not convinced. His position has been shaky anyway as his state rival and Union minister C.P. Joshi has been lobbying to become chief minister.

The Congress is worried as the violence has angered Muslims at a time it believes Narendra Modi’s rise has created favourable conditions for the party by causing concern among the minorities about the BJP. The central Congress leadership has received reports that Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, where elections are due in summer next year, are unhappy over the Rajasthan violence. The leaders fear the anger could hurt the party in the polls.