Mumbai, Nov 27 (PTI) Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday said he supports strict legal action if any wrongdoing is found in the seizure of cash allegedly meant for voter distribution at a BJP worker’s house in Sindhudurg.
The senior BJP leader, however, questioned Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane’s approach of entering the worker’s house, including the bedroom, and conducting what he claimed was a “sting operation”.
Rane on Wednesday alleged that bags of cash meant for distribution to voters were found at the home of a BJP worker at Malvan in Sindhudurg district ahead of the December 2 local body elections.
Nilesh Rane, who belongs to the party headed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, claimed to have conducted a “sting operation”.
The allegations, denied by the BJP, added to the simmering tension between the two allies in the state government.
The Sena MLA’s father, Narayan Rane, and brother, state minister Nitesh Rane, are with the BJP.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday over the matter, Bawankule said, “One also needs to ask whether it is appropriate to directly enter someone’s residence, go to that person’s bedroom and then claim it is part of a sting operation.” The BJP leader said he did not understand why Nilesh Rane acted in such a manner and stressed that going into someone’s bedroom was “a bit inappropriate”.
Referring to Rane’s allegations that bags of cash meant for voter distribution were found at the BJP worker’s home, Bawankule said the matter must be investigated thoroughly.
“The money was recovered from a BJP worker’s residence and the priority was to determine whether it was linked to business activity, property transactions or something else,” he said.
The Election Commission and local police would conduct the necessary inquiries, and “if some wrongdoing is found, then there will be appropriate legal action,” he said.
On Wednesday, state BJP minister Ashish Shelar termed Nilesh Rane’s allegations as false.
Following the “sting operation”, election officials and police reached the BJP’s worker’s house. He claimed that the money was meant for his business and had nothing to do with the elections.
Elections for various municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra are set to take place on December 2. PTI ND GK
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