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BJP says cash distribution allegation against Tawde shows Oppn’s frustration
The BJP said aid the opposition seems to have gauged their loss, which is why they have been floating conspiracy theories
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday termed the allegations against the party’s national general secretary Vinod Tawde that he was distributing cash ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections as “absurd” and “illogical” and accused the Opposition of hatching conspiracies to defame the party ahead of Wednesday’s polling in the state.
BJP lawmaker and spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi told media persons that an “absurd and illogical accusation has been made” and it was a manifestation of the Opposition’s “frustration”.
Members of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) led by Hitendra Thakur barged into a hotel in Virar East, where Tawde was meeting BJP’s Nalasopara constituency candidate Rajan Naik, alleging that money was being distributed there.
The Maharashtra police later registered a first information report against Tawde and Naik.
Tawde has denied the allegation and said an impartial probe by the election commission will put the conspiracy to rest.
The Congress claimed the money discovered with Tawde was “extracted from the scams” by the ruling Mahayuti government in the state. Party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, “He (Tawde) was found in Virar East. He has no business to be there. According to the rules, no outsider can be in the constituency going to vote. What was he doing in a hotel with ₹5 crore and a diary that has entries of almost ₹15 crore?”
BJP leader Trivedi, while addressing the media in Delhi, said, “The FIR (against Tawde) has been filed on suspicion of violation of the model code of conduct. There is no mention of money being distributed.”
Rubbishing the Opposition’s claims, Trivedi said the CCTV footage of the hotel and the nearby areas should be checked. “The opposition had alleged that ₹5 crore was found...how can such an amount be carried around without being visible. They should show proof and not make baseless allegations,” he said. The lawmaker also said the onus to prove the violation lies with the Opposition.
“In Maharashtra, the baseless allegation made against the BJP is a last-ditch attempt by the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi)... Vinod Tawde is our national secretary and is looking after several aspects of the election... The candidate of the (Nalasopara) constituency asked him to attend an internal meeting. Since he was passing by, he stopped over at the hotel, which is along the highway. Such meetings are done to instruct the party workers regarding the polling process,” Trivedi said.
Lashing out at the Opposition, Trivedi said the opposition seems to have gauged their loss, which is why they have been floating conspiracy theories and have been pushing the election commission to allow voting without voter ID in Uttar Pradesh by-polls.
“There is only one example of cash for votes and that was proved in the Supreme Court, when in 1993 JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) MPs took money and saved the Congress government,” he said.
Trivedi was referring to the bribe offered to three JMM MPs who voted in 1993 in Parliament to defeat a no-confidence motion against the then Narasimha Rao government. Evidence was found against them, but they were acquitted, owing to immunity for any acts committed inside Parliament under Article 105(2).
