Dehradun: Mussoorie BJP MLA Ganesh Joshi landed into controversy on Thursday after a video of him purportedly handing out money to women during a programme to celebrate Chhath festival began circulating on social media even as the urban bodies in the state go to polls on Sunday. The Congress has alleged that the BJP was trying to woo voters with cash. The party also complained to the state election commission alleging that this was a “blatant instance of votes being bought.”Joshi, however, declined to comment on the issue. “I’m busy with campaigning and I don’t wish to comment,” the legislator told TOI.The video, shot on Wednesday, purportedly shows Joshi giving money to women at a programme celebrating Chhath. The women first put a ‘tilak’ on Joshi’s forehead to welcome him and then pocket the crisp notes that he hands them.The BJP state unit, however, defended Joshi and said that he handed out money as part of Chhath tradition and had not violated the model code of conduct. BJP media coordinator Devendra Bhasin said, “As part of Chhath, when sisters put tilak on the forehead of brothers, they give them gift or money. Ganesh Joshi was following the festive tradition. The Congress must apologise for belittling this tradition for petty political gains.”State Congress president Pritam Singh said that it was a clear case of ‘notes for votes’. He claimed that according to the model code of conduct, no exchange of gifts - cash or kind - is permitted.Garima Dasoni, Congress spokesperson, said, “We have written to the state election commission highlighting the violations committed by the BJP legislator. The BJP is using money to influence voters.”Joshi had run into controversy in 2016 for beating up police horse Shaktiman during a protest near the assembly building. The horse had suffered leg injuries and later died causing a nationwide furore.

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