Mumbai, Aug 3 (IANS): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and NCP(SP) ex-Home Minister on Saturday slammed the ruling Mahayuti’s ally BJP, accusing it of “using a murder accused to defend itself.”

“The BJP is running scared… That’s why they have to take the support of a criminal jailed in a murder case to act as its spokesperson and defend the party,” said Sanjay Raut.

Referring to certain statements by the dismissed Mumbai Police cop Sachin Vaze, Raut said that the BJP has stooped to a new low by making such a person issue statements in its favour.

“Vaze is an accused (in the Antilla terror case of 2021), but he is now made to speak like a BJP spokesperson. They have to take the help of a criminal and terrorist to protect themselves,” said Raut sharply, in the ongoing verbal war involving Deshmukh.

Hitting out, Deshmukh said that last week he had made allegations against the Maharashtra Deputy CM on how Devendra Fadnavis had conspired three years ago to throw ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya into jail.

Deshmukh reiterated that the BJP was also forcing him to sign an affidavit prepared by them to implicate the Thackerays under threat of central investigation agencies, but he (Deshmukh) refused to succumb, and had to spend 13 months in jail in an alleged corruption case.

“I made those matters public. Vaze is a person with a criminal background. He was arrested for two murders and is currently in jail. What Vaze did today is a new tactic of Fadnavis, hence his (Vaze's) statements have no credibility. Even the Bombay High Court had said the same in its verdict,” Deshmukh said.

On Saturday morning, while being taken for a medical checkup, Vaze alleged that Deshmukh used to collect bribe money through his Personal Assistant and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has all the evidence in the matter.

The matter sparked a huge political row with sharp comments from BJP leaders like Girish Mahajan, Nitesh N Rane and the MVA’s Sushma Andhare among others.