Mumbai: The police on Tuesday registered a case against BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde and party candidate Rajan Naik in connection with the alleged distribution of cash to voters at a hotel in Palghar.
Hours before the Assembly polls, BVA leader Hitendra Thakur accused Tawde of distributing Rs 5 crore at a hotel in Virar to woo voters, a claim the BJP leader denied, saying he was only providing guidance to party workers on poll procedures.
A viral video showed BVA party supporters barging into the Virar hotel room and flinging bundles of cash at Tawde’s face before police escorted him out.
Based on a complaint lodged by the Election Commission, the Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police registered a first information report against Tawde and Rajan Naik, who is contesting the polls from the Nallasopara seat.
The deputy commissioner of police MBVV said, ‘They are taking action against whatever happened in the hotel. The press conference held on the premises was also illegal. We will take action as per law.’
After a ruckus of over three hours at the hotel, Hitendra Thakur, his son Kshitij, Tawde, and BJP candidate Naik decided to hold a press conference at the hotel. However, as the press conference started, it was stopped by poll officials stating it was illegal.
“I was informed by a BJP leader that he (Tawde) has come to distribute this huge cash. I could not believe that such a key national functionary of that party will do so, but sadly it turned out to be true,” Thakur told a Marathi news channel. “In the hotel today, cash, diaries and laptops (related to the alleged cash distribution) were recovered. The diaries mentioned names and the amount given to them,” Thakur said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray took a “note jihad” jibe over claims of Tawde distributing money hours before voting for the Maharashtra assembly elections.
“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 told reporters.
“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,” Thackeray said.
Rs 9.93 lakh recovered
The district authorities in Palghar on Tuesday said that a police team comprising senior officials recovered Rs 9.93 lakh cash and some incriminating documents from the hotel.
District collector and election officer Govind Bodke said the election department received complaints from BVA activists that some BJP workers were distributing cash at a hotel in Virar.
The collector, in a recorded message, confirmed that cases were registered for offences, including possession of cash, violation of the model code of conduct, and holding illegal press conferences.
The BJP rejected the allegation of distribution of cash to voters by one of its senior leaders in Maharashtra’s Palghar, claiming the opposition camp is trying to influence the election with such “absurd” accusations sensing defeat in the state assembly polls.
BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi termed Thakur’s allegation as “laughable, baseless and absurd”, and alleged that the opposition camp is making such an accusation out of “frustration and despair” sensing their imminent defeat.
Charges ‘baseless’: Tawde; wants EC to conduct impartial probe
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 party workers.
In his statement Tawde said his visit to the hotel was for a casual meeting with BJP candidate Rajan Naik. “While returning to Mumbai from Wada (in Palghar), I received a call from Rajan Naik who invited me for 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.
Suddenly, some workers from another party entered and surrounded me, shouting loudly. I later learned they were from the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA).”
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. Tawde said, “There is no question of me distributing money. I was merely meeting our workers over tea and discussing election-related issues. These allegations are baseless.”
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