New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS): BJP National Spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain on Wednesday slammed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders for their alleged involvement in a cryptocurrency fraud to finance election campaigns, accusing them of indulging in corruption to influence voters.
This comes after former IPS officer Ravindra Nath Patil's explosive allegations on Tuesday, just hours before the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Patil claimed that NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole were involved in a cryptocurrency scam to fund election campaigns. Both Sule and Patole have denied the charges.
The BJP has seized on these allegations, portraying them as evidence of the MVA's corrupt practices. Party leaders argued that while Congress and its allies resort to unethical methods to fund elections, the BJP relies on developmental work to win public support.
Speaking to IANS, Hussain said, "The BJP is fighting elections honestly in Maharashtra. The people of Maha Vikas Aghadi sometimes resort to Bitcoin, sometimes distribute money -- they want to buy people's support. But despite this, they are not going to win."
"Mahayuti government will be formed in Maharashtra. The way polling is underway today, it is a one-sided affair, and the Mahayuti government is going to emerge victorious. Long queues are being seen at the booths of our ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party," he said, expressing confidence in winning the elections.
Referring to BJP's past successes, Hussain remarked, "This is a clear indication that we will win as we did in the Lok Sabha elections, in Haryana, and now in Maharashtra. In Jharkhand, too, we are going to form the government with a two-thirds majority."
Taking aim at Congress, he said, "When Congress is in government, it indulges in corruption. When it is out of government, it continues corruption through methods like Bitcoin. During the Lok Sabha elections, they used similar tactics, and now they are doing the same in the Maharashtra Assembly elections."
Hussain further alleged that the leaders of Congress and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) are "deeply involved in Bitcoin manipulation, and the country is closely observing this."
Former IPS officer Ravindra Nath Patil had accused Sule and Patole of utilising cash generated from cryptocurrency dealings to fund the ongoing election campaign in Maharashtra. He also claimed that similar tactics were used during the Lok Sabha elections.
"Bitcoin manipulation is being used to fuel campaigns, and this has serious implications for the integrity of elections," Patil had told IANS.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also targeted Congress leaders, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, questioning their silence on the matter.
"The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha must address a press conference on this issue," Patra demanded.