Jaipur, Oct. 10 -- Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Bhajan Lal Sharma-led BJP government, alleging that the state administration has completely failed to deliver on its promises under the Jal Jeevan Mission. He described the current dispensation as a "government of loot and lies," accusing it of misleading the public with inflated budgetary announcements and poor implementation. He also criticized the Centre for rising authoritarianism and curbs on free speech, expressing hope that the political momentum created by Rahul Gandhi's Bihar yatra would help counter the government's "dictatorial tendencies." Taking to X, Gehlot said the BJP government had announced in its 2024-25 Budget that it would provide 25 lakh (2.5 million) new household tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission. However, he claimed that only 944k connections were actually delivered, which was significantly lower than the 1.3 million connections provided in 2022-23 and 1.2 million in 2023-24 during the previous Congress government. Highlighting the gap between announcements and outcomes, the former CM pointed out that for the 2025-26 fiscal year, the BJP had again promised 2 million new tap connections, but even after six months into the financial year, only 97,000 connections had been issued. "At this rate, the government will barely reach two lakh (200k) connections by the end of the year," Gehlot said, adding that "this clearly exposes the BJP's false claims and failures." He further alleged that the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), which is responsible for implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission, has been plagued by administrative irregularities. "Six Additional Chief Engineers, three Superintending Engineers, and seventeen Executive Engineers have been kept on APO (Awaiting Posting Orders) for a long time, while the government has handed double charges to its favored officers," Gehlot said. "What is the reason behind this? Is the Jal Jeevan Mission failing due to corruption and favouritism in the BJP government?" Gehlot also referred to the upcoming visit of Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil, who is scheduled to visit Rajasthan on October 11, and said that the minister "should ask the Chief Minister why the Jal Jeevan Mission is deteriorating under a so-called double-engine government." Commenting on the reports that arrests have been made in Madhya Pradesh in the cough syrup deaths case while the probe in Rajasthan is still ongoing, Gehlot accused the state government of complete administrative paralysis. "There is no such thing as government in Rajasthan. I've heard that even MLAs and MPs are not being heard in their districts. If elected representatives are ignored, how will officials deliver relief to the people? The public is in distress, and bureaucracy isn't listening to anyone - not MLAs, not MPs. Whether the Chief Minister is even aware or not, I do not wish to comment," Gehlot remarked. On his upcoming visit to Bihar, Gehlot said he would be travelling there soon and expressed optimism about the political climate following Rahul Gandhi's recent visit. "A positive atmosphere has been created after Rahul Gandhi's yatra. A new government should form in Bihar - it's in the nation's interest. It will help put a check on the authoritarian tendencies of the current regime. Across the country, intellectuals, journalists, and writers are being jailed. Those who speak the truth are booked for sedition. Even Sonam Wangchuk, a well-known activist and educationist, and once a supporter of Prime Minister Modi, has been arrested and jailed in Jodhpur under sedition. This has brought global embarrassment to India. The government is not understanding the consequences of its actions, but one day it will have to face them," the former chief minister said. Reacting to Gehlot's remarks, BJP spokesperson Laxmikant Bharadwaj said the former chief minister often recalls his own government's failures and makes such statements. "The situation he is describing existed during his own tenure. His MLAs and MPs were busy in loot and corruption, and Gehlot was unable to control them," Bharadwaj said. He added that the NDA is clearly forming the government in Bihar and everyone, including Gehlot, knows it. "He is speaking just for the sake of it. There is a strong wave in favour of the BJP across the country, while Congress has become a sinking ship," Bharadwaj said....