Jarange clip: Sena neta targets BJP as Maha CM orders probe
Mumbai/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: An audio clip which claims that deputy CM Eknath Shinde ’s son, Shrikant Shinde , paid Rs 500 crore to quell Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange ’s agitation has pitched governing parties Shiv Sena and BJP against each other.
On Friday, Sena’s Ramdas Kadam alleged that the person behind the clip’s release had connections with BJP and that Jarange was targeting Shinde through the party. He also claimed Jarange had close relations with BJP functionaries and the names of many of its party legislators had cropped up in the clip.
In an attempt at damage control, CM Devendra Fadnavis said govt would conduct an inquiry and a forensic examination of the clip, which Jarange had played on Thursday. He said a Shiv Sena delegation had met him over the issue. “Whatever conversation has come out will be investigated fully and forensically. I have given the same assurance to the Sena delegation,” he said.
However, Fadnavis questioned the timing of the clip’s release, two-and-a-half years after the alleged recording. “All of us are asking why this audio conversation is coming out now. What is the motive behind it, who is being targeted and why?” he said.
Sena functionaries said the clip was released days after its ministers said Shinde would become CM. At the Sena’s Dussehra rally, minister Gulabrao Patil claimed that Shinde would return as chief minister and that anyone coming in the way of his return would be “wiped out” or “eliminated”.
BJP MLC Pravin Darekar said it is inappropriate for a responsible neta like Kadam to behave in an irresponsible manner. “Making such statements while being part of the same governing coalition is not right. An SIT (special investigation team) will be appointed to probe the audio clip, but blaming BJP is wrong,” he said.
Kadam, a former minister, rubbished some BJP netas’ suggestion that the audio clip had been doctored with the help of AI. “This claim is entirely false. It is a 32-minute internal discussion, in which individuals are mentioned by name. The timestamp—3.04pm—is clearly visible,” he said. “Eknath Shinde came to you (BJP) with trust, but are you feeling scared of him? I have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking a probe. Who are the snakes among us who are trying to finish Eknath Shinde?”
Refusing to disclose who had provided him with the recording, Jarange said govt must ensure that people willing to come forward with information receive adequate protection. Scotching speculation of AI being used to generate the audio clip, he argued that reproducing the voices of multiple people would be difficult. He alleged that attempts had been made for three years to discredit his agitation.
While releasing the audio clip in Jalna on Thursday, Jarange had alleged 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 allegations that he had secured Rs 500 crore from BJP and funnelled it through his son.
In the audio, a woman was allegedly heard claiming that Rs 500 crore had been delivered to Jarange through Shrikant, and other speakers discussed strategies to counter the Maratha quota activist’s growing political influence in the Marathwada region ahead of the 2024 assembly elections. One speaker allegedly suggested countering Jarange indirectly, noting that his campaign portraying BJP as anti-Maratha could pose a significant electoral challenge.
On Friday, Sena’s Ramdas Kadam alleged that the person behind the clip’s release had connections with BJP and that Jarange was targeting Shinde through the party. He also claimed Jarange had close relations with BJP functionaries and the names of many of its party legislators had cropped up in the clip.
In an attempt at damage control, CM Devendra Fadnavis said govt would conduct an inquiry and a forensic examination of the clip, which Jarange had played on Thursday. He said a Shiv Sena delegation had met him over the issue. “Whatever conversation has come out will be investigated fully and forensically. I have given the same assurance to the Sena delegation,” he said.
However, Fadnavis questioned the timing of the clip’s release, two-and-a-half years after the alleged recording. “All of us are asking why this audio conversation is coming out now. What is the motive behind it, who is being targeted and why?” he said.
Sena functionaries said the clip was released days after its ministers said Shinde would become CM. At the Sena’s Dussehra rally, minister Gulabrao Patil claimed that Shinde would return as chief minister and that anyone coming in the way of his return would be “wiped out” or “eliminated”.
BJP MLC Pravin Darekar said it is inappropriate for a responsible neta like Kadam to behave in an irresponsible manner. “Making such statements while being part of the same governing coalition is not right. An SIT (special investigation team) will be appointed to probe the audio clip, but blaming BJP is wrong,” he said.
Kadam, a former minister, rubbished some BJP netas’ suggestion that the audio clip had been doctored with the help of AI. “This claim is entirely false. It is a 32-minute internal discussion, in which individuals are mentioned by name. The timestamp—3.04pm—is clearly visible,” he said. “Eknath Shinde came to you (BJP) with trust, but are you feeling scared of him? I have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat seeking a probe. Who are the snakes among us who are trying to finish Eknath Shinde?”
Refusing to disclose who had provided him with the recording, Jarange said govt must ensure that people willing to come forward with information receive adequate protection. Scotching speculation of AI being used to generate the audio clip, he argued that reproducing the voices of multiple people would be difficult. He alleged that attempts had been made for three years to discredit his agitation.
While releasing the audio clip in Jalna on Thursday, Jarange had alleged 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 allegations that he had secured Rs 500 crore from BJP and funnelled it through his son.
In the audio, a woman was allegedly heard claiming that Rs 500 crore had been delivered to Jarange through Shrikant, and other speakers discussed strategies to counter the Maratha quota activist’s growing political influence in the Marathwada region ahead of the 2024 assembly elections. One speaker allegedly suggested countering Jarange indirectly, noting that his campaign portraying BJP as anti-Maratha could pose a significant electoral challenge.
Next Story