The counterattack came swiftly.
After Deshmukh’s press conference, MP Mansukh Vasava addressed reporters at the Circuit House in Bharuch On Saturday, directly hitting back at both Dr Darshana Deshmukh and Chaitar Vasava. Recounting events during the Ekta Parade at Kevadiya Colony, held in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, the MP alleged political pressure at the highest level.
“During a meeting on the Prime Minister’s programme, AAP MLA Chaitar Vasava pressured officials regarding expenses,” Mansukh Vasava claimed. “At that time, Dr Darshana Deshmukh remained completely silent.”
Escalating the charge, the MP alleged that an AAP leader demanded Rs 75 lakh from an official and spoke of suppressing the matter, a claim that prompted him, he said, to go public through his December 7 press conference in Narmada district.
Turning his fire squarely on the BJP MLA, Vasava accused Deshmukh of self-inflicted political damage. “By making allegations, she has shot herself in the foot,” he said. Asserting his own clout, the MP added pointedly, “I made him an MLA.”
“If she had any grievance, she should have told me directly or raised it on the party forum,” Vasava argued. “Instead, she chose to make allegations in public.”
