Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee (RPCC) President Govind Singh Dotasra on Wednesday, 24 June publicly challenged state Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena, dismissing allegations over OBC certificates and daring the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government to conduct a probe at any level. Speaking at a press conference at the state Congress headquarters in Jaipur, Dotasra accused Minister Meena of reviving a five-year-old controversy to deflect scrutiny from an alleged multi-crore scam inside the Agriculture Department.

The OBC Certificate Dispute

Agriculture Minister Kirori Lal Meena had recently written to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, alleging that Dotasra and his brother-in-law held fake OBC certificates and demanding registration of an FIR. Dotasra rejected the charge outright, stating that all appointments and certificates were issued in accordance with rules framed by the Union and Rajasthan governments since 1999. He clarified that a 2019 circular cited by Meena was an erroneous communication that had since been corrected in 2021 and formally clarified to the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC). The Congress leader added that courts and previous governments had already settled the matter, and if the current BJP administration still harbours doubts, it is 'free to conduct an investigation at any level' — and he is 'fully prepared to cooperate.'

Agriculture Department Scam Allegations

Dotasra turned the spotlight on what he described as a far more serious controversy: raids conducted under the Agriculture Department and the alleged recovery of ₹2.43 crore in bribe money. He noted that Minister Meena had himself admitted that irregularities were occurring without his knowledge — a concession Dotasra said establishes moral responsibility on both the minister and the state government. He alleged that a department director-level officer and members of a decoy team were caught red-handed in illegal extortion. Dotasra demanded a Special Operations Group (SOG) inquiry into the department and questioned why the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had not acted despite the scale of the alleged recovery. He claimed the total scam could be worth between ₹300 crore and ₹500 crore, and called for scrutiny of all 1,200 raids conducted by the department. 'If he is found innocent after a fair inquiry, I will personally thank him,' Dotasra said, adding that shielding the real culprits while blaming others amounts to 'dirty politics.'

Healthcare System Under Fire

The RPCC president also launched a sharp attack on Rajasthan's public health infrastructure, alleging that government hospitals face critical shortages of treatment facilities and medicines, while counterfeit drugs are being supplied in their place. He cited the deaths of five pregnant women in Kota, two in Bikaner, and one in Jodhpur as evidence of what he called the state government's insensitivity. He further alleged that patients' kidneys were being damaged by contaminated drugs and fake oxytocin injections, and criticised Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khimsar for making remarks he described as insensitive toward pregnant women.

Other Concerns: Border Security, Demolitions, and Coaching Centres

On national security, Dotasra said the Congress stands firmly with the state government, but criticised the practice of giving religious sites only one to two hours' notice before demolition — alleging it risks communal tensions and is being used to mask governance failures. He called for any Central government action plan to be discussed transparently through an all-party meeting and shared with the media and public. He also flagged the sealing of coaching centres, stressing that safety inspections must be conducted regularly rather than waiting for accidents to force action.

What Comes Next

With Dotasra openly inviting a probe and simultaneously demanding SOG and ED action against Meena's department, the confrontation sets up a high-stakes political standoff ahead of future electoral cycles in Rajasthan. Whether the BJP-led government initiates any investigation — into the OBC certificates or the Agriculture Department — will be closely watched as both sides seek to control the narrative.