Rahul Gandhi Targets PM Modi Over Cash-for-Vote Scandal, BJP Dismisses Claims as Baseless
Sharply hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi - a veteran Congress leader- reacted to the reported Maharashtra cash-for-vote scandal. While talking about the controversy, Gandhi asked for the source of the alleged ₹5 crores and labeled BJP as those who loot public funds. "Modiji, from whose safe did these ₹5 crores come? Who looted the public's money and sent you in the tempo?" Gandhi posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Rahul Hits Modi on ₹5 Cr Row, BJP Rejects Claims
His comments came after Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) leader Hitendra Thakur accused BJP National Secretary Vinod Tawde of visiting a Virar hotel where he delivered ₹5 crore to a BJP candidate. The charges have set off a political storm as Rahul Gandhi referred to a past jibe by PM Modi when the latter said Congress had ridden "tempo-loads of money" from crony capitalism. Challenging this, Gandhi remarked that Modi's comments could be due to personal experience.
मोदी जी, यह 5 करोड़ किसके SAFE से निकला है? जनता का पैसा लूटकर आपको किसने Tempo में भेजा? https://t.co/Dl1CzndVvl
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) November 19, 2024
Defending, BJP MP and spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi condemned the allegations as opportunistic and politically motivated. Trivedi maintained that Tawde had visited only to attend a meeting of party workers to discuss logistics on the day of polling. Such meetings occur in election time. The candidate of Nalasopara constituency invited Tawde, and he agreed as he was in the vicinity. The claims of ₹5 crore are completely baseless; no one can carry such an amount discreetly. We urge the authorities to check the CCTV footage of the hotel and areas nearby to verify the truth.
The BJP has accused the opposition of orchestrating a smear campaign ahead of the elections, calling the allegations a desperate tactic by the MVA alliance. The Election Commission has been alerted, and an investigation into the matter is expected, intensifying the charged political atmosphere in Maharashtra.
