Mumbai, Oct 23 (PTI) A day after Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange presented an audio clip that claims payment of Rs 500 crore done to him through MP Shrikant Shinde, Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam on Friday accused him of conspiring with the BJP to “finish off” Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Addressing a press conference, Kadam alleged that Jarange was fooling the Maratha community and wedging a divide between communities, and claimed that he has been “exposed” now.
The BJP and Shinde-led Shiv Sena are part of the Mahayuti alliance government in the state, with NCP being the third ally.
“You (Jarange) are trying to hatch a conspiracy to finish off a Maratha leader by colluding with the BJP,” Kadam said, apparently referring to Ekanth Shinde.
He also accused Jarange of being linked to various government tenders in the state.
The former minister claimed that BJP MLC Pravin Darekar, known to be a close aide of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, was also named in the audio clip.
Releasing the audio clip in Jalna on Thursday, Jarange alleged a conspiracy involving a purported Rs 500 crore payment claimed to be done to him via Shrikant Shinde, son of Eknath Shinde, in order to “silence” him and to crush the reservation agitation.
In the purported conversation, a speaker claims that Rs 500 crore had already been delivered to Jarange through MP Shrikant Shinde, while another part of the recording discusses whether Jarange’s influence would be beneficial to the party in the assembly elections.
Kadam said the day Jarange targets Shinde, his community will also go after him.
The Sena leader also sought to know as to when Jarange received the audio clip.
Kadam said he has written to Fadnavis, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat with a request for a forensic probe into the clip.
“Who in the BJP are trying to finish off Eknath Shinde?” Kadam asked. PTI PR NP
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