Cash seized at Amravati during polls is black money: Gadkari

Amravati (Maha), Feb 26: Terming the Rs One crore cash seized by police in Amravati during the recent civic polls in Maharashtra as "black money", BJP president Nitin Gadkari alleged that the money was collected by a Congress minister from contractors for distribution among voters.

"The money was collected by one of the Congress ministers, who is close to Maharashtra chief minister, from some contractors in Nagpur and it was sent to Amravati for distribution among voters," Gadkari alleged. "If it was party fund, Congress should clarify to people, from which bank it was withdrawn," he said. He was speaking to reporters after felicitating BJP's newly elected members of ZP, panchayat samiti and the civic body.

Gadkari alleged that even though Congress was claiming that the cash was a party fund for helping poor candidates, it was actually "black money". Demanding a thorough probe into the incident, Gadkari said BJP would follow up the matter "till Congress stood exposed".

President Pratibha Patil's son and Congress MLA Raosaheb Shekhawat had been questioned by the Amravati Police in connection with the seizure of Rs one crore unaccounted cash, which was being transported into the city from Nagpur in a car in the early hours of February 12.

Two persons had been arrested in the case. Following the seizure, the Election Commission had directed the district collector and municipal commissioner to file a report about the incident. The Collector had issued a notice to Shekhawat, Minister of State for Water Resources Rajendra Mulak and others in the case.

However, denying allegations that the seized cash was unaccounted, Shekhawat had claimed that the money was meant for distribution among financially weak candidates for the local municipal elections held on February 16.

PTI