Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena on Sunday sought to accuse Narendra Modi of duplicity over corruption, a day after the Congress attacked the Prime Minister for his “double standard” in the context of the defection of several graft-accused NCP leaders to the BJP.

“Desh ko dubane wale Bhajpa mein aayen, ya jail mein jayen, aisa sandesh badshaah nein diya hai (The emperor has sent out a message that those who pull the country down should either join the BJP or go to jail),” Uddhav aide Sanjay Raut wrote in party mouthpiece Saamna.

Raut was alluding to Modi’s speech in Bhopal where he had condemned the Opposition as corrupt, saying: “Desh ko dubane walon se savdhan rahen (Beware of those who pull down the country).”

Underlining the corruption cases against some of the turncoat NCP politicians such as Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, Chhagan Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif, Raut sarcastically remarked: “Desh ko dubane wale raato-raat deshbhakt ban gaye (Those who were pulling the country down overnight turned into patriots).”

The Sena leader cited other examples, including that of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, a former Congress politician who has become a key figure in the Modi-Amit Shah scheme of things after passing through the BJP “washing machine”.

“The purpose is to gather all the dacoits and pickpockets by misusing the central agencies — which have completely been transformed into political tools — to consolidate political power,” Raut wrote.

“Some leaders are now desperately seeking to highlight their corrupt deeds in the fond hope of becoming ministers in the BJP governments.”

Raut taunted Ajit Pawar for accusing his uncle and NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar of ill-treating him.

“Yes, he was ill-treated. Seven-term MLA, once MP, minister for 15 years, four times deputy chief minister and one-term leader of Opposition. Any other nephew would not have tolerated this injustice,” Raut wrote.

While the defectors seem to have saved themselves from the law by surrendering to the BJP, it’s the Prime Minister’s reputation that is being damaged in the bargain.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole said: “People now understand Modi’s tricks. He is using State power to break Opposition parties. It is largely being disapproved of.”

Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh, during a visit to Gwalior on Satuday, said: “Is baar gaddaron ko koi mauka nahin milega (Traitors will not get any opportunity this time).”

Digvijaya has alluded to Jyotiraditya Scindia as “gaddar” many times after he defected to the BJP with MLAs loyal to him, pulling down the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh.

Digvijaya warned Modi-Shah against “gaddars” in a series of tweets, saying: “Modi and Shah, you are creating a gang of gaddars who used to abuse you day and night. Now they are praising you in the lust for power. The day you will lose power, these gaddars will be the first to desert you."

Digvijay said: “Modi & Shah, those leaders who stood with you when you were not in power have withdrawn and confined themselves to their homes. Will you fight with the army of gaddars by abandoning the army of self-respecting loyalists? Both of you are committing a grave mistake.”

Most of the turncoats who have joined the BJP for power or safety have no faith in the Sangh Parivar ideology, but have usurped the positions of BJP loyalists who had struggled for decades to build the party.

In poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, there is an intense tussle for tickets in the constituencies where Congress defectors joined the BJP with Scindia. The original BJP candidates are vying for these seats, creating a political problem for the BJP and Scindia.

Similar dilemmas are bound to trouble the BJP in Maharashtra as it has imported around 80 MLAs from the Shiv Sena and the NCP, who will lay claim to tickets from their constituencies.

The loyalists will have to compete with the defectors, who have not only grabbed ministerial positions but are likely to corner the majority of poll nominations as well.

What will hurt the BJP supporters and leaders the most is that these defectors had accused them of bigotry and communalism all their lives.