 "Those facing graft charges declared clean after joining BJP: Sanjay Raut")
Amid the battle for control of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) by rival factions led by Sharad Pawar and his nephew and former Maharashtra deputy chief minister, Ajit Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the BJP was involved in breaking other parties, adding that those facing corruption cass have been declared clean after joining BJP.
Addressing media persons in Mumbai, Raut said, "This is a conspiracy by the BJP. They are breaking other parties. They bring in members of other parties and put them in the BJP'swashing machine to wash off the taint of corruption. Those who were aleged to be among the most corrupt have been declared clean after joining BJP."
Earlier, addressing a public meeting in Bhopal on June 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that NCP was involved in a corruption of Rs 70,000 crores. He alleged that the NCP was involved in the Maharashtra Cooperative Bank scam, as well as scams in the irrigation and mining sectors.
After splitting the NCP down the middle and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra along with 8 senior MLAs, Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister.
Opposition leaders, including the Congress, which partners Sharad Pawar's NCP and the Sena (UBT) in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), hit back at PM Modi over his remarks against the NCP.
"I am surprised that two days back, PM Modi said in Bhopal that the NCP did corruption of Rs 70,000 crores," former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan said.
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Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, "PM Modi had levelled a big allegation against the NCP leaders, accusing them of corruption. And now, we are seeing all this drama."
Earlier, in yet another setback to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Neelam Gorhe, who was in the Uddhav Thackeray faction and the deputy chairperson of Maharashtra Legislative Council, joined the ruling NDA of the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Sena in Maharashtra.