BJP defends Vinod Tawde, says it's a poll stunt by opposition apprehending defeat

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: BJP netas scrambled to Vinod Tawde's defence, describing the alleged cash-for-votes case as a poll stunt and conspiracy.

Devendra Fadnavis said, "When one begins to see defeat in elections then the events that happen... this is one of them. Tawde is our national general secretary and he went there only to meet party workers. No money was found with him nor any objectionable material. On the contrary, he was attacked and our Nalasopara candidate Rajan Naik was also attacked. The MVA ecosystem , seeing tomorrow's defeat, has done this to cover their defeat. Tawde is not guilty. He didn't carry any money, didn't distribute any money."

BJP group leader in the council Pravin Darekar held a press meet and called the row an election stunt . "Sensing defeat, these kinds of stunts are being staged across the state. The first stunt was done by Anil Deshmukh, alleging the attack on his vehicle was masterminded by BJP, an act BJP would never indulge in. Tawde is the party's national secretary, and to accuse him of carrying money and distributing it for one assembly constituency eventually will prove laughable."BJP's Sudhir Mungantiwar said not only was Tawde the national general secretary but a cultured and accomplished person. "A leader of his stature will never do such a thing," he said.

State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, in a statement, said Tawde was in Nalasopara to discuss how party workers should work before elections, increase voting, and stop bogus voting. The opposition conspired and made accusations against Tawde, he said. "A film was made, and media management was also done, trapping him in a conspiracy. Investigating agencies will investigate, and as BJP, we too shall expose this conspiracy," he said.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi stressed the need for a thorough probe, particularly review of CCTV footage from the hotel and surrounding areas to verify MVA's claims.Trivedi recalled that during the Congress govt's tenure in the 1993 Harshad Mehta scandal, questions arose about how Rs 1 crore reached certain places. "At that time, Rs 1,000 notes were in circulation. Now, even with 500 notes, show us where the Rs 5 crore is. That's why I'm saying, show the sack, show something. But instead, there's nothing, just noise and baseless accusations," he said.