10 May,2024 08:27 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
PM Narendra Modi. Pic/PTI
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Friday said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should take action against billionaire industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments about Congress getting "black money" from them, reported the PTI.
In an editorial in party's mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed "brand Modi" was over and that he would not be PM after June 4 (when results of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 will be declared).
PM Modi's recent speeches during the poll campaign reflect a "dejected and frustrated" mindset, the editorial asserted, as per the PTI.
Meanwhile, speaking at a rally in Telangana on Wednesday, PM Modi had reportedly accused the Congress of having a "deal" with Ambani and Adani, and asked if the party has received "tempo loads of black money" from the two businessmen for its leader Rahul Gandhi to stop "abusing" them.
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"I want to ask from Telangana soil, let the 'shehzada' (referring to Rahul Gandhi) announce, how much has been lifted from Ambani-Adani. Has tempo loads of money reached the Congress? What deal has been arrived at that abusing Ambani-Adani has stopped overnight?" the PM had said while addressing an election rally at Vemulawada there.
PM Modi is seeking votes in the name of Lord Ram while his party was taking funds (through electoral bonds) from beef exporting firms, it alleged, according to the PTI.
"Freezing the bank accounts of the Congress and serving the opposition party a tax notice of Rs 1,800 crore was dictatorship," the editorial said slamming the BJP-led Union government, the news agency reported on Friday.
The editorial further claimed that the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had "brought Modi to his knees" and the latter had to "publicly say where the source of black money is".
"PM Modi's empire stood on pillars of black money and Rahul Gandhi has been hitting him on this issue relentlessly. So Modi is scared," the editorial claimed.
BJP writes to EC, cops over Sanjay Raut's 'bury' comment against PM Modi
Meanwhile, the BJP on Thursday wrote to the Election Commission and Mumbai police seeking action against Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut for his alleged comment about burying Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Maharashtra just like Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Such comments are a "direct threat" to the life of the PM, the Maharashtra unit of the BJP alleged.
"Sanjay Raut in his public rally in Ahmednagar had threatened to bury Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Maharashtra. He also tried drawing a parallel between Modi and Aurangzeb. Such comments potentially lead to communal disharmony and affect the peaceful process of election campaign," the BJP said in its complaint letter to the EC.
(with PTI inputs)