An ugly war of words broke out between the saffron alliance partners ahead of the closure of a bitter campaign for Monday’s Palghar lok Sabha by-poll, after Shiv Sena released a purported audio clip in which Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is heard exhorting the BJP party workers to use “Saam, Daam, Dand and Bhed” (all means and methods) to win the crucial by-poll.
Miffed with the purported audio clip released by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at an election rally at Palghar on Friday night, Fadnavis hit back at Uddhav on Saturday, charging that the Sena had released a “pruned”, “edited” and “tampered” audio clip of his address to his party workers, a version which projected a “misleading” account of his speech.
Releasing the complete version of the audio clip at an election meeting at Vasai: “The Shiv Sena has stooped to all time as it is staring the defeat in the Palghar by-poll. The complete audio clip lasts for 14 minutes. What the Sena has done is to release the pruned, edited and tampered version of the audio clip”.
“I am going to submit the entire version of the audio clip to the Election Commission. If there is objectionable in the audio clip, I am prepared to face any action to be taken by the EC,” the chief minister said.
Fadnavis said that he had used the words “Saam, Daam, Dand and Bhed” in the context of an election strategy and not in the negative sense. He pointed out that he had made it clear that though he was in the ruling party, he would never misuse his office.
Earlier on Friday night, uddhav dropped a bombshell at an election rally when he played out what the chief minister called it a “pruned”, “edited” and “tampered” audio clip carried Fadnavis’ address delivered to his party workers at an intra-party meeting a few days ago.
The transcript of the audio clip released by the Sena chief quotes Fadnavis as telling the BJP workers: “We are fighting an electoral major battle. If a party which calls itself our friend is not only betraying and back-stabbing us, but also challenging our very existence, the BJP has in its blood as to how to react in such situations. We can’t sit quite in this kind of a situation. We have to launch such a major attack that the rival realises as to what the BJP is all about”.
“Please keep one thing in mind..... Saam, Daam, Dand and Bhed” .... If you need to win this election, you need to pay them ( Shiv Sena) in the same coin. I would not tolerate any dadagiri on any one part. If anyone indulges in dadagiri, I am capable of indulging in much stronger dadagiri. I will stand by solidly. Give the opponents a befitting reply. Fight aggressively. Don’t bother about the consequences. We are there to take care of them,” the transcript continued “We are a ruling party. We never misuse power. But, if someone misuses power, we will not spare them.