‘Apologise or…’: BJP’s Vinod Tawde sends defamation notice to Rahul Gandhi in Maharashtra cash-for-votes row

Maharashtra ‘cash-for-votes’ row: BJP’s national general secretary Vinod Tawde said on Saturday that he sent a defamation notice to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, and party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate. He also demanded an “unconditional apology” from the leaders for making “false and baseless” allegations against him in the cash-for-votes incident in Maharashtra. He said if they don’t tender an apology, he would file a “100-crore defamation suit.

Tawde was accused by the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi, a regional party, of distributing ₹5 crore to woo voters, with its members barging into a hotel room on November 19 in a Mumbai suburb, where the BJP leader was present.

“I have filed a defamation case against Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and their party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate for their baseless allegations in the Nallasopara case,” Tawde posted on X, while sharing the defamation notice,.

“In the circumstances, by your false, baseless, malicious and mala fide imputations you have rendered yourself liable for prosecution under Section 356 BNS and also for the damages under the civil laws. The damage to the reputation of our client is unquantifiable however; our client values the same to Rs. 100 crores for the purpose of civil action,” the notice stated.

It added, “Our client has decided to give you all an opportunity for tendering unconditional apology to our client hence; you all are hereby called upon to tender unconditional apology to our client within 24 hours… by getting the unconditional apology published in the equally bold letters in the atleast three English and three Language news papers Hindi and Marathi news paper on the front page and also transmitted on Twitter/X account etc.”

Congress ‘spreading lies’

Tawde accused the Congress of spreading lies and said, “Despite their attempts to tarnish my image and that of the BJP, the truth is clear – the alleged ₹5 crore was never recovered in the investigation by the Election Commission and the police.”

The BJP leader added, “This case exposes the Congress’s low-level politics and their desperate attempts to mislead the nation. The BJP stands tall, backed by truth and the people’s trust!”

“The truth is before everyone that the alleged amount of ₹5 crore was not recovered during the investigation conducted by the Election Commission and the police. This case is a complete proof of Congress’s low-level politics,”