New Delhi: After Sachin Pilot was removed from the post of Rajasthan Congress chief, former union minister Jitin Prasada said that his ‘friend’ worked with dedication for the party and expressed hope that the situation can still be salvaged.

Jitin Prasada’s open praise for Sachin Pilot left the Congress red-faced as this was an endorsement for a dissenting leader, from one of prominent young faces from Uttar Pradesh.

Sachin Pilot is not just a collegues but my friend. No one can take away the fact that all these years he has worked with dedication for the party. Sincerely hope the situation can still be salvaged. Sad it has come to this…

— Jitin Prasada जितिन प्रसाद (@JitinPrasada) July 14, 2020

“Sachin Pilot is not just a colleague but my friend. No one can take away the fact that all these years he has worked with dedication for the party. Sincerely hope the situation can still be salvaged. Sad it has come to this…,” Congress leader Prasad tweeted.

Mr Prasada, considered a leader of the party’s “young brigade”, also expressed the hope that the situation can be salvaged.

Amid the political tussle in Rajasthan, Pilot was removed as Deputy Chief Minister and also sacked from his party positions. He has been removed as Rajasthan Congress chief.

“Truth can’t be defeated,” tweeted Pilot after sacking

Shortly after he was sacked, Mr Pilot said, “Truth can be rattled, not defeated”.

He also changed his profile on Twitter, deleting all references to his positions as deputy chief minister and Rajasthan Congress chief.

He only described himself as MLA of Tonk and a former minister of IT, Telecom & Corporate affairs, Government of India.

Mr Prasada, 46, and Mr Pilot, 42, were said to be part of the Congress’ young brigade along with Jyotiraditya Scindia who left to join the BJP earlier this year.

Rajasthan Congress is in turmoil over the past few days. While Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs, Sachin Pilot has been camping in Delhi.

A controversy broke out in Rajasthan after Special Operation Group (SOG) sent a notice to Pilot to record his statement in the case registered by SOG in the alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the State.