Jalna, Oct 23 Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Friday sought a detailed and impartial probe through an SIT into the audio clip he released a day earlier, asserting that failure to do so “will erode public confidence in the government and the leaders concerned”.
On Thursday, Jarange had released the audio clip in Jalna, alleging that a conspiracy was hatched to silence him and weaken the Maratha agitation. In the viral audio, a woman is allegedly heard claiming that Rs 500 crore had been delivered to Jarange through Shrikant Shinde, the Lok Sabha MP son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
The clip is original and not AI-generated, and its links could extend from Mumbai and Maharashtra all the way to Delhi, Jarange told reporters at his residence in Ankushnagar here.
“An independent probe is needed to establish the truth. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must appoint competent and impartial officers to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the matter. Raids must be conducted without delay against those found to be involved, so that evidence can be uncovered and the truth brought to light,” he said.
“Do not turn truth into falsehood and falsehood into truth simply because they are your own people,” Jarange said while cautioning Fadnavis and Shinde against trying to shield those belonging to the ruling establishment or are close to powers-that-be.
The alleged involvement of Shinde must be clarified and all details of the supposed money trail must be made public, the quota activist added.
Jarange asserted that he should not be unnecessarily defamed.
He also raised questions over how the audio clip allegedly went viral three hours before it was released by those concerned.
He expressed suspicion over how Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam knew about the date and year of the incident linked to the clip even before these details were publicly established.
Demanding that these aspects be included in the SIT investigation, Jarange said the sequence of events surrounding the recording’s circulation needed to be examined carefully.
Kadam, earlier in the day, addressed a press conference accusing Jarange of conspiring with the BJP to “finish off” Deputy CM Shinde.
Jarange was fooling the Maratha community and wedging a divide between communities and had been exposed, Kadam said.
“Failure to conduct a fair investigation and bring the facts to light will erode public confidence in the government and the leaders concerned,” Jarange said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday ordered a forensic probe into the clip.
“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.
(PTI News)
