Bharatpur/Karauli, June 11 -- Former deputy chief minister and AICC general secretary Sachin Pilot on Wednesday on Wednesday said that he has always maintained respect for the leaders he has worked with, adding that certain people in politics prioritised personal gain over service and ethics. Addressing a Kissan Sammelan in Karauli district's Sakarghata village, Pilot criticised what he described as a trend of "advance booking" in political careers. He said such practices are harmful for both the party and the public, and leaders should remain connected with the public and work in a way that they are remembered for their contribution. "Times may change, but ethical values in politics remain important. People support those who work with honesty and truth," he said. Pilot also referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's slogan "Mohabbat ki Dukan," saying he believed in assessing people through sincerity and intent rather than rhetoric. Mere influence in powerful circles did not amount to meaningful leadership if it was not directed toward national interest, he said. Though he did not name anyone, Pilot's comments came days after former chief minister Ashok Gehlot claimed that the events of 25 September 2022 were not a rebellion against the Congress high command but were directed specifically against Pilot's leadership ambitions. On a different note, Pilot alleged that the gap between rural and urban development continued to widen under the BJP-led Centre. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) has been weakened and people were struggling to secure employment under the scheme, he said, and also alleged that farmers' concerns over rising costs of fertiliser and seeds were being ignored. He also highlighted the difficulty in compensating crop losses through insurance companies. Pilot said the Centre had failed to deliver on many promises made during the previous Lok Sabha elections. He added that unemployment remained a serious concern and that key public assets, including airports and warehouses, were privatised. He said the government's reduced mandate-only 240 seats in the previous Lok Sabha polls-reflected public sentiment, and demanded Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation to foster accountability in the NEET paper leak case. He alleged that while crime and corruption were on the rise in Rajasthan, the BJP was focusing primarily on religious politics. Pilot unveiled a statue of his father Rajesh Pilot at the event and also addressed a farmers' meeting. BJP 's district president in Karauli Govardhan Jadaun said that the BJP government controlled rates of crime in the state, which had gone up under the Congress. He added that the developmental strides under two-and-a-half years of the current regime surpassed the entire performance record of the previous government....