Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed the BJP was spreading a false narrative against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi while targeting him over his “shakti” remark, reported news agency PTI.

In his weekly column “rokhthok” in the party mouthpiece Saamana, Raut said during his Mumbai rally, Gandhi had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is just a mask and the opposition has to fight the “shakti” behind it, reported PTI.

“Gandhi meant `dhan shakti` (money power) against which the opposition has to fight. PM Modi immediately said this was an attack on Hindutva and women power. People who consider themselves as the avatar of Lord Vishnu were shocked by Gandhi`s “shakti” remark and started spreading a false narrative against him. There is also a shakti behind this false propaganda machinery,” the Rajya Sabha MP claimed, reported PTI.

“The BJP has become a mental illness patient,” he alleged, reported PTI.

Raut also wondered why a hospital whose income is generated from patients should purchase electoral bonds.

“The Yashoda Super Speciality Hospital purchased Rs 162 crore electoral bonds from October 2021 to October 2023. Which party can accept bonds from a hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic? Agencies involved in conducting the probe into the jumbo COVID-19 centre and khichdi cases should investigate the link of this hospital and the BJP,” he said, reported PTI.

The Enforcement Directorate has been conducting a probe into alleged irregularities in setting up of jumbo COVID-19 treatment facilities in Mumbai.

The ED is also conducting a probe into alleged irregularities in a contract given by the Mumbai civic body for providing `khichdi` packets to migrant workers stranded in the city during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Meanwhile, a recent comment by Rahul Gandhi, questioning the integrity of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) made during a rally at Mumbai`s Shivaji Park, has ignited a heated exchange between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections 2024.

BJP leader Nalin Kohli came down heavily on Gandhi and denounced his comments as an affront to the integrity of the Indian electorate. Kohli claimed that by throwing doubt on EVMs, the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi were insulting India`s people, who had the authority to decide the country`s future. According to Kohli, the Congress party`s refusal to accept electoral results causes them to insult voters by challenging the trustworthiness of EVMs, reported ANI. 

Kohli told ANI, “By raising these kind of allegations, the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi, in a way, are insulting the electorate of India. Its the electorate of India that determines India`s destiny. They are the ones who blessed Prime Minister Modi on 2014, 2019 and clearly seem to be wanting to bless him for a third term, because Narendra Modi treats the entire nation as his family. The Prime Minister has one agenda, and that is to make India a developed country by 2047.”

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)

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