Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Oct 24 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde must go to the root of the audio clip controversy and not spare anyone involved in the matter, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange said on Saturday.
Amid the sensation created by the ‘Rs 500 crore’ clip, he averred that it was genuine, and said Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam should be questioned in the case.
“Those from the camps of Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis are encouraging people to defame us”, he said.
The audio clip, released by Jarange on Thursday, contained a purported conversation between BJP functionaries that he had been paid Rs 500 crore through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy CM Shinde.
The activist, who has said that he did not accept any money, claimed on Saturday that a plot had been hatched against him because he was raising the issues of farmers and common citizens.
“We have revealed the things (hidden) behind the curtain. In fact, we have torn the curtain. Leaders of all political parties have woken up because of this, which is important for me. I will be going to the root of this case,” he said.
Even Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde should go to the root of this case and see that no one is spared, the quota activist added.
Eknath Shinde and Shrikant Shinde have already denied the allegation that any money was routed to Jarange through them.
Alleging a plot against him, Jarange said “party funds” were used in efforts to defame him and the Maratha quota agitation.
He also asked how Sena leader Ramdas Kadam obtained the recording, and why it surfaced only now even though it allegedly dated back to October 14, 2024, before the state elections.
Earlier, Kadam had alleged that BJP insiders were colluding with Jarange to politically “finish” Shiv Sena chief and Deputy CM Shinde.
The audio clip was genuine and it pointed to a conspiracy to weaken the Maratha reservation movement, Jarange said, urging Fadnavis and Shinde to question Kadam about his source of the recording.
He also alleged that Kadam possessed the complete recording but disclosed only a portion of it in which Shinde was mentioned.
(PTI News)
