Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the alleged attempt to topple his government stopped and said he is open to welcoming back the Congress rebels led by Sachin Pilot. “Prime Minister should stop the ‘tamasha’ going on in Rajasthan. The rate for horse-trading has increased here. What ‘tamasha’ is this?,” Gehlot said at a press conference in Jaisalmer.

Since the power tussle between him and Sachin Pilot resurfaced this month, the Congress veteran has used harsh words against his former deputy, once even referring to him as “nikamma” or useless.

But on Saturday, Gehlot said that he would embrace the rebel MLAs if the Congress high command forgives them. Pilot had walked out of of the government along with 18 Congress MLAs last week.

The Congress has accused the BJP of playing a major role in the rebellion by the now sacked deputy chief minister and 18 other Congress MLAs who are threatening his government.

“We have no quarrel with anyone. In a democracy, fights happen over ideology, policies and programmes and not for toppling a government.

“Modi should get stopped whatever is going on in Rajasthan,” the chief minister said outside the hotel where the MLAs were shifted Friday.

Gehlot and the ministers are likely to spend most of their time in the state capital as the Congress tries to keep its numbers intact in Jaisalmer.

He claimed that democracy is under threat in the country is and the Union Home Ministry is after his government in the state.