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 and conducting what he claimed was a “sting operation”.
State minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane also dismissed his elder brother Nilesh Rane’s allegations, saying party workers often had legitimate business income and the presence of cash at a residence should not be viewed otherwise.
Sena leader Nilesh 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. The MLA, who belongs to the party headed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, claimed to have conducted a “sting operation”.
He also claimed that state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan had visited Malvan two days ago.
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 are with the BJP.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, 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 the Sena legislator’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.
Meanwhile, Nitesh Rane dismissed his brother’s allegations, saying many political workers had businesses such as crushers, hotels or other commercial activities.
“Before becoming a worker of a political party, most of us had some businesses or income sources. No one should try to defame the BJP just because some cash was found at our worker’s residence. I do not see any issue with our worker having some cash at his residence,” he said.
The standard applied to BJP workers should also apply to all others, the minister said and remarked, “Hamam me sab nange hote hain” (no one is in a position to judge another).
He also said that BJP leaders had never gone to Ratnagiri to speak against Shiv Sena minister Uday Samant and questioned the purpose of such political targeting within allies.
“Should we go to Ratnagiri and speak against Uday Samant? How will it look if we create a ruckus there?” the BJP leader wondered.
On Nilesh Rane’s comments about Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan, Nitesh Rane said, “Our state party head will visit every place where polls are taking place. Nilesh’s allegations should not be seen in any other way.” On Wednesday, BJP minister Ashish Shelar also termed Nilesh’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.
Voting for municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra is set to take place on December 2. PTI ND GK
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