Sena seeks action against Adani-Ambani after PM's 'black money' accusations

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Friday, 10 May, said the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation 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.

Speaking at a rally in Telangana on Wednesday, PM Modi 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.

"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.

In an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) claimed "brand Modi" was over and that he would not be PM after 4 June (when results of the Lok Sabha polls will be declared).

Modi's recent speeches during the poll campaign reflect a "dejected and frustrated" mindset, the editorial asserted.

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.

"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.

It further claimed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had "brought Modi to his knees" and the latter had to "publicly say where the source of black money is".

"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.