Jarange asks if audio clip was plot to end Shinde's career, and whether Fadnavis knew

Manoj Jarange Patil, speaking to reporters in Jalna on Monday, spoke openly on the Rs 500 crore and audio clip matter. He said the BJP cannot look for a way out of the case by putting AI forward.

Jarange wondered whether the whole affair was a conspiracy to end Eknath Shinde's political career. He said it should also be established whether Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was kept in the dark while this was being done. He said that a big leader of the country must be behind the people speaking in the clip, and that Shinde and Fadnavis should find out who.

Jarange said plainly that he is ready to pay whatever price is needed for Shinde. He also said he is ready to help Fadnavis get to the bottom of the matter.

He said Shinde would not now sit quiet after this episode, because it is a personal attack on him. In Jarange's words, "Was it a plan to finish his career?" He claimed he has information about tomorrow that all this was done without telling Fadnavis. He said that if Fadnavis goes deep into it, he will understand that the game was against both him and Shinde.

Jarange raised several questions: whose people are those speaking in the clip, whose system this is, and who is backing them. He said the meeting visible in the clip shows that these people plan and set narratives. In his view, a hand from Delhi must be behind them, and an organisation bigger than the BJP could be with them. Jarange also alleged that all those who spoke against him were given money.

He also said that if the matter is not investigated thoroughly, the message will be that Fadnavis himself was behind the whole affair. Jarange said he has no machine, so how would he make AI videos, and asked whether everything would now be called AI. He said BJP people were involved, but the real question is whether Fadnavis knew. According to Jarange, he is not even capable of making something like this with AI in Marathi.

Jarange said he too is searching for answers. He said he will not sit quiet, will find out, and will now go after these people.

Jarange said he does not know what MP Sanjay Raut gave Amit Shah in his letter. He demanded that everyone, whether in the ruling party or the opposition, be investigated. He said the probe could be by the ED or other agencies, but an investigating agency should be set up that cannot be pressured.