Mungantiwar hints at Fadnavis row: people get into trouble through their own mistakes

Nagpur: A war of words is on between the BJP and the Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena over an audio clip about an alleged Rs 500 crore deal. BJP leaders are asking who took the contract to eliminate Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and who helped Manoj Jarange. Senior BJP leader and former finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar has now made a statement that carries a hint.

Speaking to the media, Mungantiwar gave his view on the matter. "No one can finish anyone. A person gets into trouble because of his own mistakes. The blessings of the people are tied not to a post but to work," he said.

Shinde faction leader Ramdas Kadam had claimed that the BJP is afraid of Eknath Shinde. Mungantiwar called Shinde his friend and said it is not right for an atmosphere of fear to build up among friends. He appealed to Mahayuti leaders to refrain from such statements. He also voiced a suspicion that this could be an attempt to create distance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena.

Should arrests follow an audio clip?

Questioning the talk of the Rs 500 crore deal, Mungantiwar opposed drawing any conclusion from the clip alone. He asked whether everyone should be arrested on the basis of such a clip. He said plainly that Manoj Jarange is a genuine activist and that he does not believe Jarange would take money.

Drought deserves more discussion than the clip

Mungantiwar said maturity is needed in politics. In his view, the question of drought should get more importance than the audio clip. He expressed regret that a farmer grows grain with hard labour, yet his problems are not fully discussed. He also said it is not right to heat up the political climate over clips that could be made with artificial intelligence (AI), or to lower the level of politics.