By Express News Service

JAIPUR: In a big jolt to the ruling BJP, the High Court on Friday issued a notice to Rajasthan party chief Madanlal Saini asking him to present a report by August 16 on the expenses being incurred on Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s Gaurav Yatra.

A PIL by advocate Vibhuti Bhushan Sharma said, “The Chief Minister’s yatra is to promote the electoral fortunes of the ruling party but its expenditure is being met by government departments.”

The hearing on the PIL was conducted by the Bench of Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog.

Apart from Saini, other respondents in the petition are Chief Secretary of Rajasthan, the Principal Secretary of Public Works Department and the chief engineer of the PWD.

During the hearing, advocates of the PWD pleaded that the order regarding the expenses on the CM’s Gaurav Yatra had already been withdrawn, but the court said a hearing is essential on this issue and ordered the state BJP chief to give a reply.

The petition also pointed out that home minister Gulab Chand Kataria, the convenor of the yatra, had said that it was the BJP’s Gaurav Yatra and all the expenses would be borne by the party, but state PWD Minister Yunus Khan had called the Gaurav Yatra a government programme.

The petitioner said it’s a part of the BJP’s election campaign in which people are asked to vote for the party. Hence, the BJP should be asked to refund the expenses and asked to stop any wastage of public money.