Stoking fresh controversy against BJP leader and state education minister Vinod Tawde, Congress and NCP on Thursday accused the minister of using party funds to run a newspaper, in which he is director. The Opposition demanded Mr Tawde’s resignation but the latter dismissed their allegations. He said that opposition leaders were making statements without understanding the issue.
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan alleged that the BJP gave Rs 25 lakh from party funds to run a newspaper. Demanding resignation of Mr Tawde, who is director of Shree Multimedia Vision Limited (SMVL), Mr Chavan said another director of the company, Dilip Karmbelkar, was appointed president of Vishwakosh Nirmiti Mandal (Marathi Encyclopaedia) after Mr Tawde became minister. Taking up the issue further, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said that his party would complain to the Election Commission (EC) against misuse of party funds.
Mr Chavan, in a press conference on Thursday, alleged, “Education Minister Mr Tawde, Union minister Nitin Gadkari, Daily Tarun Bharat editor Dilip Karmbelkar, and a few RSS leaders formed SMVL. Mr Gadkari later resigned as director but the current director is Mr Tawde. A minister cannot be a director of a private profit-making company. This is conflict of interest. Mr Tawde did not even mention this in his previous two election affidavits.”
Mr Chavan said that the BJP gave SMVL Rs 25 lakh from party funds to run the newspaper, Tarun Bharat. Also, Mr Karmbelkar was appointed by Mr Tawde as president of Vishwakosh Nirmiti Mandal last year. “The information sought under RTI has shown that Mr Karmbelkar’s name was not recommended for the post. But Mr Tawde’s officer on special duty (OSD) recommended Mr Karmbelkar’s name for the post to the CMO. I demand that the CM should ask Mr Tawde to resign and remove Mr Karmbelkar from the post,” said Mr Chavan.
The former CM said that they will further pursue the matter as he has sought more papers on the issue through RTI.
Speaking on the same issue, Mr Malik demanded Mr Tawde’s resignation. “The EC should inquire into misuse of party funds, as it was given to a profit-making company. Mr Tawde also appointed Mr Karmbelkar to the post of Vishwakosh Nirmiti Mandal which is conflict of interest. Mr Tawde should resign from the post,” said Mr Malik
Clearing the air, Mr Tawde said he is just an honorary director of the company and hence, did not mention it in the affidavits. “I do not have any share in the company and do not get profit. I am just an honorary director and hence, didn’t mention it in the affidavits. The funds given were the trade advance and Mr Chavan has not studied the matter,” he said.
On the topic of appointing Mr Karmbelkar as President of the Vishwakosh Nirmiti Mandal, Mr Tawde said that it was due to his work. “Mr Karmbelkar is a friend but he was appointed for his work,” Mr Tawde added. This is the second time Mr Tawde has attracted controversy. Earlier, the issue of his fake engineering degree had cropped up, putting him in an embarrassing situation.
