Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray released an audio clip on Saturday night, purportedly of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asking Bharatiya Janata Party workers to use all possible means to win the Palghar Lok Sabha bye-election on May 28. In response, the BJP claimed that the Shiv Sena had tampered with the clip.
“If somebody is challenging our existence in Palghar and has betrayed our trust, back-stabbed us while calling itself our ally, then they should be taught a lesson,” Fadnavis says in the clip, PTI reported. “We should not be sitting quietly now. We should launch a big attack and show them what the BJP is.”
“If we want to win this election...give them the answer by using negotiation, money, punishment and division. Do not tolerate anybody’s bullying. On the contrary, bully them,” he purportedly said.
After releasing the audio clip, Thackeray demanded that the Election Commission take action against Fadnavis. The Opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party demanded an inquiry into the audio clip.
“If the clip is authentic, then the chief minister should immediately resign, but if it is fake, then Fadnavis should take action against Uddhav Thackeray,” former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan tweeted.
However, Fadnavis said that the Shiv Sena had “twisted” the clip, The Times of India reported. My last sentence in the clip was that we are in power, but we will never misuse it. This line they never released,” he said.
BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari claimed the Thackeray had shown an incomplete and edited clip, because he knew the Shiv Sena would lose the bye-election. “We will complain to the Election Commission about the condemnable misuse of technology and also release the full clip,” he said.
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