If Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is innocent, then he should come forward to help the people get their money back in the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's aide Lokesh Sharma said on Saturday.He was reacting to reports that Shekhawat has filed a criminal defamation case against Gehlot in Delhi's Rouse Avenue Court after he alleged the Union minister's involvement in the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society scam. In a tweet in Hindi, Sharma said, "It is a matter of great surprise, Union Minister Mr. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, whose crime, it has been proved in the SOG investigation, is similar to the accused arrested in the Sanjeevani scam?has filed a defamation case against the CM of the state."

"While the chief minister is constantly saying that Mr. Shekhawat... if you are innocent then why don't you come forward to get the money of the poor back? He has been demanding that the central government should take strict action in this matter and the Rajasthan government will fully cooperate in this," he said. On February 21, Gehlot alleged Shekhawat is trying to mislead the public in the case, even though the SOG investigation has proved his involvement in the matter.

In the Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society, thousands of investors allegedly lost Rs 900 crore. Rajasthan Police's Special Operations Group (SOG) has been investigating the case since August 2019. According to reports, Shekhawat moved the Rouse Avenue Court to file a criminal defamation case against Gehlot. He has also demanded appropriate financial compensation for the loss of his reputation, the reports stated.