Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday downplayed the resignation of Sports Minister Ashok Chandna, saying that he might have resigned under pressure. Gehlot speaking to the media said: "Chandna holds the charge of organising the Rural Olympics. This is a huge task. He may have got tensed. If someone made a comment, he should not be taken too seriously. Will talk to him and see. I don't know yet, I haven't even talked to him. I see that he is working under pressure. Such a big responsibility has come to him." Gehlot was interacting with the media after paying homage at Ram Niwas Bagh on the death anniversary of Pandit Nehru. Gehlot said: "Ashok Chandna had organised a big sports event at the state level last time. Similarly, the Rural Olympics is going to be another big event. For the first time in India, rural Olympics is going to be held on such a large scale.
More than 30 lakh people will be participating in it from the villages." Earlier, Chandna in his tweet offered his resignation to the CM and said, "Free me from this reckless post,(Zalalat bhare pad se mukt karen)." In his tweet, he said that the departments are run by him, hence there is no point continuing as Minister. Acharya Pramod Krishnam, a spiritual guru who is close to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, targeted Gehlot on the tweet of Chandna. He said that "The fault lies in the engine and you are talking about changing the coach." Meanwhile, sources claimed that Gehlot not taking Chandna's offer to resign seriously, is being seen as an attempt at damage control. Gehlot belittled the matter by terming it as a minor issue, sources said. Meanwhile, BJP state president Satish Poonia said, "Ship is about to sink, 2023 trends have started." Rajasthan will go to assembly polls in December 2023.