MUMBAI: The controversy over Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil’s allegation of a Rs 500-crore payment linked to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has intensified, with Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske demanding a probe by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell to verify the authenticity of a purported audio clip.
Mhaske alleged that the clip was part of a conspiracy to drive a wedge between Shinde and Jarange Patil and defame the Shiv Sena leader. He urged Jarange Patil to submit the recording to the Cyber Cell for forensic examination and verification of the identities of those heard in it.
The allegation centres on claims that the BJP had reportedly paid Rs 500 crore to Shinde to pacify Jarange-Patil, with the money allegedly routed through Lok Sabha MP Shrikant Shinde, Eknath Shinde’s son. The claims remain unverified.
Mhaske claimed that the voices in the purported recording appeared to resemble those of BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar, party spokesperson Sweta Shalini and Nidhi Kamdhar, who is said to be close to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He also referred to the alleged involvement of a right-wing YouTuber from Sambhajinagar.
Mhaske called for the Maharashtra Cyber Cell to collect voice samples of the people allegedly heard in the recording and verify whether they match the voices in the clip. He said that if the recording was authentic, the remarks about Shinde would be unacceptable, given the BJP and Shiv Sena’s alliance.
"We are a trusted alliance partner of the BJP, and the way these people who are part of the audio clip made low-level comments is not acceptable to us. Therefore, we want a fair probe and action against these people,” the Shiv Sena MP said.
Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal said that the central agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) should carry out the probe in this audio clip as Rs 500 crore is mentioned, and the action should be taken against those who are named in this audio clip. He said that the audio clip shows how the BJP operates and how they build the fake narrative to defame the opponent and win the election.
“In the 30-odd-minute audio clip, the people who are named are strategists for the BJP who work around the clock to develop the fake narrative. They even spend party and even individual funds to divide society on religion and caste lines. This is nothing but destroying the democratic process and finishing the normal and genuine person's political and social career. The clip also exposes how the BJP and its ecosystem work as deep state,” Sapkal alleged.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has demanded that the state government register a case and hand over the investigation to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the ED. Raut has also called for Eknath Shinde to be questioned as part of the proposed investigation.
The controversy erupted after Jarange-Patil, addressing a Dussehra rally at Narayangad in Beed district, alleged that he had heard from political leaders that Shinde had told senior BJP leaders to arrange Rs 500 crore to silence him and bring his agitation for Maratha reservation to an end.