Sapkal asks if Modi too got China funding after Fadnavis alleges Congress took Chinese money

The political debate in Maharashtra over alleged funding from China has intensified. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of receiving money from China. In response, Harshwardhan Sapkal asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also received funding from China.

On Sunday, November 1, the INDIA bloc held a large protest in Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The 'Chalo Delhi' protest was held at Ramlila Maidan under the leadership of Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, and ordinary people and party workers turned up in large numbers. The same day, the Mahayuti also held a large demonstration against the opposition in Thane, where Chief Minister Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were present.

Several senior Mahayuti leaders joined the march in Thane, and a sizeable crowd of party workers and citizens turned out.

At the rally, Fadnavis questioned Rahul Gandhi's political role. He alleged that the opposition's protests were tarnishing the image of important institutions created by the Constitution. He then raised the issue of alleged financial help to the Congress from China. Fadnavis said, "Rahul Gandhi always goes to Vietnam and Thailand. Why does he go there? I ask Rahul Gandhi, which country is so eager to belittle India and infiltrate India? It is China. So Rahul Gandhi, tell me, why are the Congress and your trust receiving donations from China? Are you spreading anarchy in India on Chinese money?"

Sapkal responded in a post on his X account. He wrote that lakhs of people took part in the 'Vote Bachao, Desh Bachao' mega rally held in Delhi under Rahul Gandhi's leadership. According to Sapkal, the sea of people that gathered at Ramlila Maidan will not rest until it puts the vote thieves behind bars. He claimed that Chief Minister Fadnavis, who he said came to power through vote theft, has lost his mental balance on realising this, and is therefore making reckless and baseless allegations.

Sapkal further wrote, "When Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sitting on a swing with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the banks of the Sabarmati, was he receiving funding from China? Fadnavis should answer this too." He also said that the Chief Minister had claimed 2.5 crore dead voters in the state were removed in the SIR, and that, in Sapkal's words, he was lying brazenly without checking any facts.

Sapkal called another of Fadnavis's claims false. Fadnavis had said the Congress had not appointed a single BLA. Sapkal said that had official information been sought from the Election Commission, it would have shown that 56,000 Congress BLAs are working. He said Fadnavis had developed a habit of lying continuously, had to delete a wrong tweet about the Legislative Council election result, and would now have to withdraw the baseless allegations in today's speech as well. Sapkal ended the post with, "Fadnavisji, Get Well Soon!"

With Fadnavis's allegations on one side and Sapkal's reply on the other, the political climate in Maharashtra has heated up. Attention now turns to how the BJP responds.