Mumbai: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Thursday released an audio clip to support his claim that the BJP had paid him Rs 500 crore to stop his agitation before the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has denied the allegation and said he is ready for any investigation.
At a press conference in Jalna, Jarange Patil played the recording. He said it proved his earlier claim that Shinde had told the BJP leadership to pay him Rs 500 crore through Shinde’s son, Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde. Jarange Patil said he had not received any money and had not given up his demand for Maratha reservation.
What Clip Says
The audio is said to be from a BJP Zoom meeting held before the 2024 state elections. In it, a woman is allegedly heard saying: “Manoj Jarange-Patil has already received Rs 500 crore, and these funds were delivered through Shrikant Shinde.”
The recording also reportedly talks about checking Jarange Patil’s political strength, bringing forward other Maratha leaders against him, and using social media to weaken his campaign. Jarange Patil said this was an attempt to divide the Maratha community and demanded a probe by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Shinde Denies Charge
Shinde rejected the allegation in New Delhi and said: “All our spokespersons are speaking on this. I have neither given 500 crores to anyone nor taken it from anyone. On what basis is Jarange speaking? He should have verified the facts before speaking.”
He asked Jarange Patil to submit any proof to the concerned authorities. The authenticity of the audio, the identity of the speakers and the context of the conversation have not been independently verified.
The row started at Jarange Patil’s Dussehra rally in Beed, where he first made the allegation.
Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam questioned why he had waited to release the clip, while Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut demanded an investigation by the concerned agencies.