Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 | Vinod Tawde demands apology from Kharge, Rahul amid cash-for-votes row, files Rs 100 cr defamation lawsuit

The former Maharashtra minister and BJP national general secretary claimed innocence, saying the alleged amount was not recovered in the probe by the Election Commission and police.

New Delhi: BJP leader Vinod Tawde has filed a defamation lawsuit of Rs 100 crore against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate for "false and baseless" allegations against him in the cash-for-votes row in Maharashtra.

“I have filed a defamation case against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and their party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate for their baseless allegations in the Nallasopara case. Despite their attempts to tarnish my image and that of the BJP, the truth is clear – the alleged Rs 5 crore was never recovered in the investigation by the Election Commission and the police. This case exposes the Congress' low-level politics and their desperate attempts to mislead the nation. The BJP stands tall, backed by truth and the people's trust,” he posted on X.

Stating in the lawsuit that “false, baseless, malicious and mala fide imputations” have hurt his reputation, Tawde demanded that Congress leaders must “tender unconditional apology” within the next 24 hours.

He also demanded that the apology has to be published in at least three English and three regional newspapers in Hindi and Marathi on the front page and also post the apology on their X accounts.

From its official handle, Congress had posted on X, "...Tawde has been caught distributing money in a hotel in Maharashtra...Tawde had taken the money in a bag and was calling people there and distributing the money. When the public came to know about this news, there was a huge uproar...Voting is about to take place in Maharashtra, just before that BJP leaders are busy influencing the elections using money."

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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