Who's footing bill for rebels' hotel, flights? NCP asks

As the political cross in Maharashtra deepened, Sharad Pawar-led NCP on Saturday asked who was footing the bill of rebel Shiv Sena legislators currently camping in a hotel in Guwahati.

Rebel MLAs, led by Eknath Shinde, stayed for a day in the Le Meridian Hotel in Surat and took a chartered flight to Guwahati, where they are now in Radisson Blu.

The NCP asked the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate to find out the source of these funds and the “black money” involved.

"Who is footing the bills of hotels in Surat and Guwahati as well as the chartered flight? Is it true that the horsetrading rate is Rs 50 crore? If ED and IT get activated, the source of the black money will be exposed,” NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said.

NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto asked, “Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says BJP is supporting (rebel Shiv Sena MLAs) in Maharashtra. Therefore, is this statement an answer to the following questions? Who took MLAs to Surat? Who flew them to Assam? Who is paying their hotel bills in Guwahati?”