Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) President and Nagaur MP Hanuman Beniwal on Friday, 26 June demanded that the Rajasthan government publicly disclose the outcome of the investigation into the recovery of ₹2.31 crore in cash and nearly one kg of gold from the basement of Yojana Bhawan, located near the State Secretariat in Jaipur. The haul was discovered during the tenure of the previous Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government, and the case has since remained a flashpoint in Rajasthan politics.

Background: What Was Found and When

The cash and gold recovery from Yojana Bhawan triggered a sharp political controversy at the time of its discovery, with opposition parties — prominently the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — branding it a 'major symbol of corruption' under the then-Congress administration. The BJP had demanded a thorough investigation and used the case as a central plank in its criticism of the Gehlot government ahead of the 2023 Rajasthan Assembly elections.

Beniwal's Allegations Against the BJP Government

Beniwal alleged that after the BJP came to power in Rajasthan, the same party that had loudly condemned the recovery had fallen conspicuously silent. In a press statement, he questioned why no public update on the investigation had been shared since the change of government. He also sought clarity on the ownership of the recovered cash and gold, the identities of those allegedly involved, and whether the probe had reached any conclusion.

'The people of Rajasthan have a right to know the truth,' Beniwal said, urging Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to clarify the investigation's status and disclose its findings. He raised the pointed question of whether the silence was intended to shield certain individuals.

The Political Contradiction at the Centre

The RLP chief's intervention highlights a familiar pattern in Indian state politics: an opposition party's anti-corruption rhetoric facing accountability once it assumes power. Notably, Beniwal is neither with the BJP nor the Congress — positioning the RLP as an independent watchdog voice in Rajasthan. This comes amid broader scrutiny of the BJP's governance record in the state, which it recaptured in late 2023 after five years in opposition.

What Beniwal Is Asking For

According to his statement, Beniwal has demanded that the Rajasthan government place the full facts before the public, name those responsible for the recovered assets, and ensure transparency in the handling of the case. He reiterated that the state government's continued silence on a matter it once described as emblematic of Congress-era corruption raises serious accountability questions.

Whether Chief Minister Sharma's administration responds formally remains to be seen, but the demand has added fresh political pressure on the ruling dispensation ahead of what is expected to be a contentious legislative session.