Fadnavis hints at use of terror funding and foreign interference during elections

Nagpur, Dec 19 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said there was evidence for the use of terror funding and foreign interference during the recent elections. In his reply to the debate on the Governor's address, Fadnavis, in the state Assembly, cautioned the opposition parties to be careful as someone is putting a gun on their shoulder.

“There is no doubt about your patriotism but someone is putting a gun on your shoulders. What did they not do to win the election? We have seen someone come and raise the slogan of vote jihad, 17 demands were made to you and you do not even open your mouth. I will tell you the real conspiracy. I trust you, I don't distrust you, but you have strayed somewhere,” he told the opposition leaders.

“To what extent are we going to win the elections? There is now evidence of foreign interference in the country's elections” he said.

He said a shocking case of financial transactions worth Rs 100 crore from the accounts of unemployed youths was revealed in the Merchant Bank branch in Malegaon.

“Some youths in Malegaon filed a complaint with the police. An undisclosed amount of cash worth Rs 114 crore has been deposited in the accounts. Accused Siraj Mohammad opened accounts in Nashik Merchant Bank using the PAN cards and Aadhaar cards of 14 people. Rs 114 crore was deposited in these 14 accounts. Later, the money was diverted to the accounts of Siraj Mohammad and 21 people. When the police, ED and Income Tax Department investigated this, it was found that transactions worth Rs 1,000 crore were made in 201 bank accounts from 21 states. This money has gone to different cities including Mumbai and Nashik. Rs 600 crore was sent to Dubai and Rs 100 crore was used for different things during this election. Now this investigation has been handed over to the ATS,” he claimed.

Fadnavis alleged that the participants involved in the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra attended the meeting held in Kathmandu on November 15 this year. “The 180 organizations associated with Bharat Jodo Abhiyan organized programs and published pamphlets during the election period. Of which about 40 of them are organizations that have been named as frontal organisations,” he said.

Referring to urban naxalism, Fadnavis said that the naxal activities are being carried out in urban areas especially when the war against naxalism is going on. “What is urban Naxalism? Let us take the name of the country's constitution, and create doubt in the minds of the people about every institution, such as the courts, RBI, and the Election Commission, so that people's trust should be lost, people should feel that every institution in this country is no longer autonomous. When this happens, what will happen if people revolt? What will they do if they revolt? They will break the constitution given by Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and bring a state of anarchy here. This is an attempt,” he claimed.