MVA leaders criticise BJP over clean chit given to Waikar

Mumbai: Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Saturday slammed the BJP-led Mahayuti over the clean chit given to ‘tainted’ Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar’ in a hotel redevelopment case. The MVA leaders said that the BJP’s washing machine came into action again. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that now only fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim is left to get a clean chit from the incumbent Maharashtra government.

Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has filed a closure report in the Jogeshwari land case giving a clean chit to Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar, his wife, and four close associates. Waikar had switched loyalty from Uddhav Thackeray to Eknath Shinde days before the Lok Sabha elections. He contested Mumbai North West seat as Shiv Sena candidate and defeated Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Amol Kirtikar by the margin of mere 48 votes.

Mr. Raut said that the ruling parties in state government and central government take all the corrupt leaders into their fold and give them clean chits. “False cases are filed against our people to pressurise them. But, some of us did not bow down before them. The BJP must admit that they have filed false cases against only to create fear,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.

Taking a dig at the BJP, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said that the BJP means “Bhrasht Jumala Party”. She also accused the BJP of a duplicitous approach where it first raises corruption allegations against its political opponents, then welcomes them into its fold, and eventually elevates them to ministerial or legislative positions. “This is like a washing machine. This means only two things: that corruption is acceptable to the BJP and that they are making corruption legal in India,” she said.

Ms Sule, who is Lok Sabha member from Baramati, demanded that the BJP leaders must release a white paper in connection with those legislators and MPs who have shifted their loyalty towards the ruling parties. "Devendra Fadnavis is the only person who can answer this question because he is the the home minister of Maharashtra and he was the first person to raise these allegations," the NCP (SP) working president asserted.

Even Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said that Waikar is another example of the BJP’s washing machine’s cleanliness. “Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Waikar was given a clean chit by the Mumbai police despite serious corruption allegations against him. The nation has seen how the Modi government uses the ED and CBI for political purposes,” he said.