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'Note jihad': Uddhav Thackeray's scathing jibe at BJP over cash-for-votes row
Maharashtra Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis backed Vinod Tawde.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday took a scathing jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the cash-for-votes allegation against Vinod Tawde, saying it was the party's "note jihad".
"Is this BJP's note jihad (for votes)? 'Baatenge aur jitenge' (will distribute cash to win). Entire Maharashtra has seen it (a video showing bundles of cash). Maharashtra will decide tomorrow," Thackeray was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
He claimed Tawde was lauded by the BJP for toppling governments.
"Tawde was lauded for toppling governments in some states and helping to form new ones. Now the secret behind this has come out in the open," he added.
The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi on Tuesday accused BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde of distributing ₹5 crore to woo voters, a day before the Maharashtra assembly election.
Also read: Maharashtra cash-for-vote row: Police find ₹9.93 lakh in hotel
Maharashtra Deputy CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, however, backed Vinod Tawde.
"Vinod Tawde is our national general secretary, and he went there only to meet our candidates. Neither did he have any money nor had any money been recovered from the spot. This was a ploy against him to cover up the defeat (referring to Maha Vikas Aghadi) in the assembly election. Vinod Tawde is nowhere at fault here," he said.
Also read: Maharashtra cash-for-vote row: Rahul Gandhi takes 'tempo' jibe at PM Modi; BJP calls allegation ‘baseless’
Tawde also refuted the charge. He said he had joined BJP candidate Rajan Naik for tea when he was accosted by BVA leader Hitendra Thakur.
"Today, as I was passing by that area (Vasai-Virar), our candidate Rajan Naik asked me to join them to have tea. 200-250 booths in charge were present there. Later, Hitendra Thakur and his son came there and said that money was being distributed. Their party workers also came and caused a ruckus. It is not wrong to go and meet party workers who work day and night for the party. I have been in politics for the last 40 years and I have never been involved in a case relating to money. Why are Supriya Sule and Rahul Gandhi saying all this? After all this, Hitendra Thakur and Kshitij Thakur dropped me in their car," he said.
The Palghar police have registered two FIRs against Tawde.
The police have also recovered around ₹10 lakh and some documents from the hotel.
Voting for the Maharashtra assembly election will take place on November 20. The results will be declared on November 23.
With inputs from PTI, ANI
