Jarange claims Shinde took Rs 500 crore from BJP in his name; audio clip sparks row

Maratha community leader Manoj Jarange has made a sensational claim. He says Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde took Rs 500 crore from the BJP in his name. According to Jarange, all of this was done through Shrikant Shinde.

An audio clip played by Jarange Patil has caused a major stir in Maharashtra politics. Allegations and counter-allegations are now flying. The clip is said to have gone viral even before it was placed before the media.

In the alleged audio clip, a woman speaks of Rs 500 crore being given to Shinde, which added to the uproar. People are heard talking among themselves in the clip, and the names of several senior state leaders are mentioned.

Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil is named directly among them. The clip also has it that neither Vikhe nor the Maratha community of Sambhajinagar offered any view. The subject of "love jihad" also comes up in the conversation. It says a Muslim woman was dropped at another branch by a bank employee, and that he was therefore beaten severely in Sambhajinagar. It says he had been speaking out earlier, and so was beaten in a field. According to the clip, all this went on, but nobody from Sambhajinagar thought it necessary even to register a simple protest.

The clip also discusses the issue of including the Maratha community in the OBC category. It also appears to touch on discussion at an international level.

Navnath Ban has said that a special investigation team (SIT) should be formed to probe the audio clip. Everyone today appears to be demanding an inquiry into the clip. On the other hand, it is also being said that the clip was created with the help of AI.

Shiv Sena leaders are saying that Eknath Shinde has made a major contribution to securing justice for the Maratha community.