Escalating tensions within Maharashtra's ruling alliance over a controversial audio clip prompted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday to order a forensic probe, as Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam accused BJP insiders of conspiring with Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange to "finish" Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Fadnavis said in Nagpur that the audio clip released by Jarange, which purportedly claims that Rs 500 crore was delivered to him through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, would be thoroughly investigated using forensic methods.
Hours later, Kadam held a press conference in Mumbai, accusing Jarange of colluding with a section of the BJP to politically "finish a Maratha leader", an apparent reference to Shinde.
Speaking to reporters after casting his vote in the Nagpur Graduates' constituency in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections, Fadnavis said a delegation from the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena had met him seeking a probe into the matter. The Shinde-led party has also questioned some BJP leaders whose names have surfaced in the audio clip.
"We all have the same question: why have these conversations emerged now, after two and a half years? What exactly are the motives behind their emergence? Who is being targeted? For what purpose? There are many questions in this regard," Fadnavis said.
He said even Jarange had demanded an investigation into the audio.
"The Shiv Sena delegation has sought a probe, and the BJP has done so too. Even Jarange has demanded an investigation. Therefore, the matter will certainly be thoroughly investigated using forensic methods, and we will uncover whatever truth there is," the chief minister said.
Jarange released the audio clip in Jalna on Thursday, alleging that a conspiracy had been hatched to silence him and weaken the Maratha agitation. He made the recording public after Shinde challenged him to prove his allegations that the deputy chief minister had secured Rs 500 crore from the BJP and funnelled it through his son, Shrikant Shinde.
In the viral audio clip, a woman is purportedly heard claiming that Rs 500 crore had been delivered to Jarange through Shrikant Shinde, the deputy chief minister's son. Speakers in the recording are also purportedly heard discussing strategies to counter Jarange's growing political influence in the Marathwada region ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections.
One speaker allegedly suggests countering Jarange indirectly, noting that his campaign portraying the BJP as anti-Maratha could pose a significant electoral challenge.
Kadam, meanwhile, attacked Jarange, accusing him of fooling the Maratha community, driving a wedge between groups and being involved in state tender processes. "You are trying to hatch a conspiracy to finish a Maratha leader (Eknath Shinde) by colluding with the BJP," Kadam said.
Questioning who within the BJP was attempting to undermine Shinde, Kadam pointed out that the names of BJP MLCs Pravin Darekar and Prasad Lad, both considered close aides of the Chief Minister, had surfaced in connection with the controversy. He also displayed photographs of Lad and Jarange having a meal together. "Who are the ones in the BJP trying to finish Eknath Shinde?" Kadam asked.
Kadam said that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and the Chief Minister, demanding a detailed forensic examination of the audio clip.
He also warned that the day Jarange goes after Shinde, the community will go after him.
(With inputs from PTI)
