Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday ordered a forensic examination of an audio recording released by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange, which allegedly claims that Rs 500 crore was handed to him through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde.
Fadnavis announced the decision in Nagpur, after casting his vote for the Graduates' constituency seat in the Maharashtra Legislative Council elections. He said a delegation of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena had met him seeking a probe, and that the BJP had also demanded one.
"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?" Fadnavis said. He added that the matter would be investigated thoroughly using forensic methods, examining whose voices are in the clips.
Jarange released the audio in Jalna a day earlier, saying it exposed a long-running conspiracy to weaken the Maratha reservation movement and tarnish his reputation. He made it public after Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde challenged him to prove the allegation that the latter had secured Rs 500 crore from the BJP and routed it via his son and MP, Shrikant Shinde. In one clip, a woman is purportedly heard claiming that Rs 500 crore was delivered to Jarange through Shrikant Shinde. The recording also purportedly carries discussion of the political impact of Jarange's growing influence ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections.
Shinde has denied the bribery claim. Shiv Sena leaders including Sanjay Shirsat, Uday Samant and Dada Bhuse rejected the allegations, describing them as part of a smear campaign, and demanded an inquiry. The BJP has asked whether the recordings are real or AI-generated. In Mumbai, Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam accused Jarange of colluding with a section of the BJP to politically finish a Maratha leader, an apparent reference to Shinde.
Jarange has urged senior leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Fadnavis and Shinde, to order a thorough probe.