Mumbai: Hours after facing allegations of distributing Rs 5 crore to woo voters, BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde called the charges against him as 'baseless', and urged the Election Commission to conduct an impartial probe into the matter. He said there was no question of him distributing money to voters, and claimed that he was only discussing election-related issues with the workers of his party.
BJP General Secretary Vinod Tawde On His Visit To The Hotel
Tawde said his visit to the hotels was for a casual meeting with BJP candidate Rajan Naik, who is contesting from the Nalasopara assembly constituency. "While returning to Mumbai from Wada (in Palghar), I received a call from Rajan Naik who invited me to tea at a hotel in Vasai, where party workers had assembled. After I reached the place, we naturally discussed election-related matters, particularly technical processes for polling day and precautions to take,” he said. “Suddenly, some workers from another party entered and surrounded me, shouting loudly. I later learned they were from the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA),” he said.
Tawde said he then called BVA chief Hitendra Thakur, urging him to control the situation. “I contacted Hitendra Thakur and requested him to restrain his party workers. Both he and (BVA) MLA Kshitij Thakur arrived at the hotel. After a brief discussion, I left with them in the same vehicle to defuse tension,” he said.
BJP's Vinod Tawde Seeks Examination Of The Hotel's CCTV Footage
He also sought examination of the hotel's CCTV footage, stating, “Let the CCTV footage be reviewed, and let the Election Commission conduct an impartial inquiry. It will become evident what really happened. Truth and lies will be separated.”
Maha Vikas Aghadi Slams Tawde & BJP
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) slammed Tawde and the BJP, accusing the saffron party of indulging in cash-for-votes and ‘note jihad’, along with misusing government machinery and engaging in corrupt practices. In the statement, Tawde criticised opposition leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and NCP (SP) Supriya Sule, for commenting on the incident without knowing the facts. “Leaders making allegations should first understand the reality of the situation,” he said.
