Electoral bonds scheme exposed BJP's loot: Uddhav Thackeray

Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray, the leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), stated on Friday that the Bharatiya Janata Party, which frequently charges the Congress of plundering the nation, has been exposed by revelations pertaining to the electoral bonds scheme.

Speaking to a group of party workers in Colaba, south Mumbai, Thackeray said that the BJP had received Rs 8,000 crore in electoral bonds and that if one were to compare that number with the amount that the Congress had received, it would be evident who had been stealing.

"Will you give this country in the hands of looters? The BJP wants another five-year term (at the Centre) to loot the country while showing you (citizens) dreams of 'Viksit Bharat' (developed India)," he said.

Just as leaders of his party were being pressured by probe agencies like the CBI and Enforcement Directorate, corporates too were threatened into making large donations to the BJP, Thackeray alleged.

Top companies got contracts in different parts of the country and were forced to donate to the BJP in the form of electoral bonds, he claimed.

In its landmark verdict on February 15, the SC scrapped the Centre's electoral bonds scheme that allowed anonymous political funding, calling it "unconstitutional". The apex court on Friday said the State Bank of India must provide the number unique to each electoral bond that would disclose the link between the buyer and the recipient political party.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi government under him was toppled because the BJP couldn't loot Maharashtra when he was at the helm, Thackeray claimed.

"I am not against Gujarat but Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pitting that state against the rest of the country. Projects coming to Maharashtra are being taken to Gujarat," Thackeray further alleged.

Thackeray said he had travelled on the newly-opened coastal road (first phase from Worli to Marine Drive) and was proud it was a dream envisaged by him and built by the (Shiv Sena ruled) BMC.

Targeting assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar, who is likely to be the ruling alliance candidate against sitting Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant, as well as Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Thackeray said a "traitor will help traitors".

"The person who is likely to contest from here (South Mumbai Lok Sabha seat) has travelled from Shiv Sena to Nationalist Congress Party to BJP. When he comes asking for votes, you must show him the strength of the (Uddhav faction of) Shiv Sena," Thackeray told the crowd.

With PTI inputs