Controversy Erupts as BJP's Tawde Denies Vote-Buying Allegations

BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde has refuted allegations of distributing five crore rupees to influence voters, calling them baseless. He urged the Election Commission to conduct an impartial probe. Videos of the alleged distribution went viral, leading to police action. Tawde maintains he was merely meeting party workers.

BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde has vehemently denied accusations of distributing Rs five crore to sway voters, labeling the claims as unfounded. In a public statement, Tawde urged the Election Commission to conduct an impartial investigation into the allegations that surfaced shortly before the Maharashtra assembly elections.

The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) had accused Tawde of cash distribution, with videos reportedly showing the incident going viral. These videos led the police to file two first information reports. Tawde clarified that his visit to a hotel in Virar was to discuss election-related matters with party workers.

Tawde described the incident as a misunderstanding, with BVA members allegedly misconstruing his actions. He called for a review of the hotel's CCTV footage to verify the events. The opposition, including MVA, has criticized Tawde, alleging misuse of government resources.

(With inputs from agencies.)