Tawde again alleges NCP backing for Raj

Attacks MNS chief over his remarks on PM’s election rally expenditure

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday reiterated its allegations against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray, claiming that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar was scripting anti-BJP speeches for him.

Though the MNS is not contesting the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Thackeray has been touring the State, encouraging people not to vote for the BJP.

On Tuesday, BJP leader and State Education Minister Vinod Tawde said, “While returning from Osmanabad, Mr. Pawar landed his helicopter in Solapur and met Mr. Thackeray at the Solapur Balaji Hotel to hand over the script of his next speech.”

The minister termed Mr. Thackeray’s campaign rallies as “touring talkies shows.”

Mr. Tawde said the MNS chief, in his Solapur rally, had questioned the expenses incurred by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on election rallies. He said Mr. Thackeray must have misunderstood the BJP’s query to the Election Commission as to which candidate would be held accountable for the expenses incurred on the MNS chief’s rallies.

“Since the MNS is not contesting the elections, Mr. Thackeray is probably unaware of the fact that Mr. Modi is BJP’s star campaigner and the Election Commission is updated regularly regarding the money spent on election campaigns through the party’s account,” he said.

He urged Mr. Thackeray to disclose which political party he is supporting.

The minister also accused Opposition parties of misleading people, especially farmers, through an advertisement released by them. “The advertisement features a farmer’s wife saying the government sent them a ₹10 cheque through the Shetkari Sanman Yojna. The ad was released despite Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatna chief Raju Shetty being a part of the Opposition. Perhaps Mr. Shetty is unaware of the fact that farmers were sent money through RTGS and not by cheque.”

Mr. Tawde said no such cheques of ₹10 were sent, and that the BJP has approached the Election Commission to take action against the Opposition for spreading false information.