Chapter 71 #5
Dev posted the short clip, where Shaurya was claiming his wife was stricter than the state Home Minister, and that started a message war among the group members, with Aakriti and Rachna taking Shaurya's side, while Rajnath and Dev teamed up to make Akansha angrier with Shaurya, so that they could enjoy the scene that night.
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"So Sir, what's actually going on in your party?
It's chaos everywhere. Is Shaurya Singh Shekhawat failing to control his own party?
Or is it miscalculation? Are you scared that the CBI that reached your father will soon reach the party leaders you have expelled too, and before it does, you seem to be trying to distance yourself from them to save your career? " a reporter asked.
Shaurya shook his head with a smile.
"Is Shaurya Singh Shekhawat failing to control his party?
Maybe no, but you need to understand—Shaurya Singh Shekhawat doesn't control his party.
The party's senior leadership controls it.
And you have got things wrong. No one is expelled from the party.
They left on their own. Yes, tickets were denied, and it was a collective decision of the party based on their conduct. Nothing more," Shaurya answered.
"And what about Raj Gopal Ji? Is it true that he was killed?" one reporter asked, and after a brief pause, others followed.
Questions overlapped. Voices rose over one another. Microphones pushed forward, each channel trying to outshout the other. What was meant to be a structured briefing had turned into exactly what everyone expected it to become — a confrontation.
"Did your father murder Raj Gopal Ji?"
"Did you benefit from his death?"
"Is your entire political career built on a crime?"
The questions came one after another, sharp, relentless.
Shaurya stood still for a moment, his gaze moving across the room. He did not raise his voice. He did not interrupt. He simply waited.
And slowly, the noise settled.
He leaned slightly toward the microphones.
"People have many questions," he began, calm and measured.
"I have taken down the top three questions to answer in this press meet.
Any other questions will be answered by the CMO if you are directing them to Chief Minister Shaurya Shekhawat, or you will receive a response from the party headquarters if you are directing them to Shaurya as the Chief Ministerial candidate. "
There was a pause. Pens hovered. Cameras zoomed in.
"Coming back to the top three questions..."
He glanced briefly at the reporters in front of him.
"One question that is leading the charts in the media — because it makes headlines on prime-time debates and front-page newspapers — is this..."
He let the weight of it settle.
"Is Shaurya Shekhawat destroying his father's legacy?"
A faint murmur passed through the room.
Shaurya didn't soften.
"I say yes," he stated without hesitation. "I am destroying Mr. Virendar Shekhawat's legacy — a legacy filled with corruption, greed, hunger for power, scams, money laundering... and everything that should never define public service."
The room grew quieter.
"And I will continue to do it," he added, his voice steady. "Even if this decision antagonizes sections of our own support base. Because real change is not comfortable. And I will not stop at anything before achieving it."
A few reporters tried to jump in again, but he continued without giving them space.
"The second question — 'Can a party survive without its veterans?'"
He exhaled lightly.
"A party may stumble without its veterans," he admitted, "but it can certainly survive. I would rather see this party on life support for a while... than keep it alive artificially, only to let it die slowly from within."
He looked directly at the cameras now.
"Veterans are important. Even today, we have many who stand like rock pillars for this party. Yes, we have lost a few — and we regret that. But what we truly regret... is not recognizing their fraudulent activities earlier. Not taking action sooner."
His tone sharpened slightly.
"I refuse to protect people who play with the lives of citizens and show zero accountability."
The silence in the room deepened.
"The third question — 'Reform or revenge politics?'"
A faint, almost knowing expression crossed his face.
"I strongly believe reforms change society for the better," he said. "And you know they are working... when people start calling them revenge."
A few heads lifted.
"Because reforms challenge practices that have existed for years — practices that are so deeply rooted, and so rotten, that even touching them feels wrong... and removing them feels like an attack."
He let that sit.
"But that discomfort," he continued, "is exactly why they must be removed."
Before the reporters could regroup, another voice cut through:
"What about Raj Gopal Ji? Did your father have him killed?"
This time, Shaurya did not deflect.
"Regarding Raj Gopal Ji," he said, his tone turning firmer, "I did not know about any such conspiracy at that time."
The room stilled again.
"But the moment I came across credible information," he continued, "I ensured a CBI inquiry was initiated — even though it involved my own father."
That landed.
"I did not protect him," Shaurya said, each word deliberate. "I did not delay the process. And I will not interfere with the investigation now."
Another question followed immediately:
"Then why not contest from his constituency again?"
Shaurya didn't hesitate.
"Out of respect," he replied. "That constituency will not be mine to claim."
A brief pause.
"I am offering that seat to his second son," he added. "Let that family decide their political future without my shadow over it."
There was a shift in the room — subtle, but unmistakable.
Someone quickly pivoted:
"Your party leaders say they were humiliated when you expelled them. Is that true?"
Shaurya turned slightly, signaling to his team. A screen behind him lit up.
"This is the clip from the meetings where those decisions were taken," he said. "Many have claimed they were disrespected. Some said they were humiliated."
He looked back at the media.
"Watch it carefully."
The footage played — controlled, measured conversations, no raised voices, no public insults.
"Now tell me," Shaurya said once it ended, "where exactly is the humiliation?"
No one answered immediately.
"And for those who want to know why a particular leader was removed," he continued, "you may write to the party's official email. You will receive a response."
He paused, then added, quieter but firmer:
"I can reveal everything on this stage. I can speak about every black deed publicly."
A beat.
"But I will not win elections by maligning individuals," he said. "I will win on my work. On my reforms. And I would be very happy... if people choose to think the same way."
"Sir... you haven't answered our question. So, your father got Raj Gopal Ji killed? Is it true, or are you going to deny it?" one reporter asked.
The room grew silent for a second, but the chaos soon replaced it. Questions flew from across the room.
"I, too think Raj Gopal Ji's death was unnatural," Shaurya finally said.
Though he didn't reveal the whole truth, this was enough to silence them in shock.
"Like I told, My suspicion led to a CBI probe.
I'm going to wait until the CBI releases its findings.
But if Virendar Shekhawat is found guilty, there will be absolutely no support from the party's side.
We are going to withdraw all kinds of legal support currently being provided to him as our party veteran. "
"You have given Raj Gopal Ji's elder son a ministry, and now you have offered a ticket to his second son as well. Is it out of guilt?" another reporter questioned.
"I already made it very clear—I had no knowledge of this at the time.
The moment I suspected something, I requested a CBI probe.
Yes, I offered a ministry to his elder son, but that was because of his capabilities.
Raj Gopal Ji contributed a lot to our state.
He was with the party since its foundation.
He was a people's leader—don't belittle him and his family by speaking like this.
Yes, I contested the by-election from his constituency after his death, but that was the party's decision.
I was just a young and inexperienced member then, and I followed the party's orders.
But after that term, I felt that the constituency belonged to Raj Gopal Ji's family.
No one can understand the people's needs better than them.
So I offered his second son the opportunity to contest from there—and he did, and he won as well.
Everything was decided by the party's senior leadership based on what was best for the people.
Please don't weave stories around this. As the press, you have a social responsibility—don't make statements that put people's lives and harmony in jeopardy," Shaurya answered firmly.
The room, which had begun in chaos, was now listening.
Not shouting. Not interrupting.
Listening.
Shaurya stepped back slightly from the podium.
"I have answered what needed to be answered," he said. "The rest—you will get through the proper channels."
And for the first time since the conference began, there was no immediate question.
Just silence—heavy, thoughtful, and far more powerful than the noise that had started it all.