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Journalism of Courage
After Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) workers allegedly caught BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde distributing cash in Virar, the AAP and the state Congress on Tuesday said the BJP was stooping too low in a desperate bid to win the Assembly polls. The parties urged the Election Commission to take stern action in the matter.
“Earlier also, Vinod Tawde was active during the Chandigarh Mayor polls. He had tried to cause a split in the AAP and wean away our corporators. Even during the Punjab polls, he was active and was busy roping in AAP MPs and other leaders into the party. As claimed by the BJP, the cash might not be for voters but who was the party trying to purchase,” said AAP Pune unit chief Mukund Kirdat in a press release.
Kirdat said BJP leaders like Sudhir Mungantiwar and Pravin Darekar claimed that its national leaders would not distribute money in small constituencies. “Then at what level do BJP national leaders distribute money? Can the BJP clarify this,” he asked.
“Election officials seized Rs 10 lakh cash from Tawde’s room. When the Modi government has made all transactions through electronic mode, why was Tawde roaming around with Rs 10 lakh cash,” he added.
Kirdat said bags of other national leaders are being checked. “Election officials are indulging in a drama of checking bags of other party leaders so that the BJP can carry out its dirty tricks before polling,” he alleged.
State Congress spokesperson Gopal Tiwari said, “The blatant and brazen way in which Tawde was caught distributing cash reveals that the BJP is afraid of losing the Maharashtra elections. The sand under its feet was slipping and that is why it was resorting to such low level tactics.”
Tiwari said the Election Commission should take stern action in the matter and not bow down to pressure from the BJP top leadership. “The BJP top leadership will in all probability put pressure on the commission. It will do everything possible to show that Tawde was not distributing cash. The EC should not bow to any pressure. It should uphold the Constitution,” Tiwari said.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Congress appealed to voters to elect MVA candidates if they wanted real development of Pune city. “If Puneites want proper roads, traffic jam free city, adequate water supply, strong drainage system, improved health facilities and effective implementation of the development plan, then we urge the voters to elect all MVA candidates with record margin of votes,” Tiwari said.
Referring to the attack on former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and the alleged cash distribution by Tawde, Tiwari said, “During the polls the BJP has sunk low and before the polls for two and half years, it indulged in breaking parties and filing false cases against opposition leaders. Development is the last word on its agenda. BJP only knows how to play politics round the clock. This is against public interest. People want good infrastructure, jobs and inflation to be checked. Only the MVA is capable of doing this. The MVA has fielded all candidates with good track record in public and those capable of pushing city’s faster development. The voters need to make their choice between who is good for Pune’s interest and who is not.”
