Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, seeking an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into allegations that Rs 500 crore was paid to Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange.
In his letter, the Rajya Sabha MP described the allegations, which emerged through an audio clip released by Jarange, as extremely serious. He said the alleged involvement of Rs 500 crore raised several questions that required an immediate and thorough investigation.
Last week, Jarange released an audio clip purportedly featuring a conversation in which it was alleged that Rs 500 crore had been routed to him through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Jarange has denied receiving any money and alleged that a conspiracy had been hatched against him because he was raising issues concerning farmers and ordinary citizens. Both Eknath Shinde and Shrikant Shinde have also rejected the allegations.
Raut called for an investigation to establish the source and destination of the alleged funds.
“Who gave Rs 500 crore to whom, and if this money did not reach Jarange Patil, where did it disappear? From where did such a huge sum of money come, and where did it go?” he asked.
Describing the matter as a potential money-laundering case, Raut said it should be investigated accordingly.
“These questions need to be answered immediately. For a thorough investigation into this, I request you to order the Maharashtra Police and the Enforcement Directorate to investigate the matter at the earliest, bring out the facts before the people of Maharashtra and the country, and arrest those involved in this scam,” Raut said in his letter to Shah.
Taking a swipe at the Union Home Minister, Raut said the ED, under Shah's leadership, had been at the forefront of investigating money-laundering cases in India. He claimed the agency had acted promptly in cases involving considerably smaller sums.
Raut cited the allegations made in March 2021 by Param Bir Singh, the then Mumbai Police Commissioner, against Anil Deshmukh, who was Maharashtra's Home Minister at the time. Singh had alleged that Deshmukh asked him to collect Rs 100 crore every month. Raut said the allegations had not been substantiated at the time, but the ED had nevertheless pursued the case and arrested Deshmukh.
Comparing the two cases, Raut argued that the allegations involving Jarange were more serious because, according to him, an audio clip had been presented as evidence and the amount involved was substantially larger.
The controversy has also triggered a political war of words between the ruling alliance and the Opposition.
On Saturday, the BJP alleged that Raut had created a fake audio clip using artificial intelligence to advance Congress MP Rahul Gandhi's agenda and create divisions among the ruling allies.
Raut subsequently claimed that a BJP MLC had leaked the audio clip, attributing the alleged leak to what he described as cut-throat competition within the party.
Meanwhile, Jarange has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to get to the bottom of the controversy.
Reiterating his claim that he was being targeted as part of a conspiracy, the activist alleged that party funds had been used in an attempt to defame him and undermine the Maratha quota agitation.
(With inputs from PTI)
