BJP’s Vinod Tawde accused of distributing money, high drama in Virar hotel before Maharashtra polls | Watch

Chaos erupted at a hotel near Mumbai on Tuesday as members of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi accused BJP leader Vinod Tawde of distributing money. The senior politician found himself blockaded inside the hotel for more than three hours amid a war of words with BVA workers.

The incident comes merely hours before residents of Maharashtra are slated to cast their ballots for the state Assembly elections.

Visuals shared online showed the politician jostling with the furious workers amid a heavy police presence.

Bahujan Vikas Aghadi MLA Kshitij Thakur and his workers claimed to have recovered envelops with money and discovered diaries at the site. He and fellow party leader Hitendra Thakur said that the CCTV of Vivanta Hotel in Palghar had been blocked.

Meanwhile the BJP National General Secretary has called for an ‘impartial’ Election Commission probe into the matter and insisted that the allegations were baseless. Tawde told reporters that he had been conducting a meeting with MLAs in Nalasopara when the clash with BVA workers took place.

“Let the Election Commission and Police inquire, let them get CCTV footage. I have been in the party for 40 years. Appa Thakur and Kshitij know me, the entire party knows me...Still, I believe that Election Commission should conduct an impartial investigation,” Tawde said.

The incident has also prompted sharp criticism from members of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi — with NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Ahwad claiming that there was a “rush of power and money in the state”.

“It is very serious that a big leader of BJP at the state and national level — former minister Vinod Tawde — was caught red-handed with cash of ₹5 crore a day before the polls. What was Tawde doing in the hotel with such a huge amount? Has anyone been paid in their captured diary? Why no action has been taken even after two and a half hours?” fumed Awhad.