New Delhi: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Tuesday ordered an investigation after an explicit video clip, purportedly of senior BJP leader and former MP Kirit Somaiya, went viral and kicked up a political storm.
Speaking at the state legislative council, Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio in Maharashtra, said: “If you have any proof, send it across. We’ll thoroughly investigate the entire issue and no one will be spared. We’ll ensure there is no loophole and the identity of the victims is also protected.”
The video purportedly shows a shirtless Somaiya, a chartered accountant and a former MP from Mumbai North East constituency, and is allegedly taken from a video call. The clip was first aired by a Marathi news channel.
Fadnavis made his statements after the video sparked a major row on the first day of Maharashtra’s monsoon session. This came after Leader of Opposition in legislative council Ambadas Danve, a leader of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), submitted what he claims is an 8 hour-long video, to the legislative council’s deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe.
Somaiya has refuted allegations of having harassed any women.
“A video clip of me was shown on a news channel. Claimed that I have harassed many women & many such video clips available & complaints received against me. I have never abused any woman. Request Devendra Fadnavis to investigate such allegations and verify the authenticity of videos,” he tweeted Tuesday.
But the video has given ammunition to the Opposition. In a tweet Monday, Maharashtra Congress president Varsha Gaikwad claimed that the “self-styled torchbearer of probity in governance has now been exposed”.
Disgusted by the video of #KiritSomaiya exposed by a Marathi news channel. The self styled torchbearer of probity in governance has now been exposed. Those whose morals are questionable have been pretending to be arbiters of public morality. On one hand his party talks of 'Beti…
— Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad (@VarshaEGaikwad) July 17, 2023
She was referring to Somaiya’s past corruption “crusades” against BJP’s adversaries, including his accusations in April that records of illegal properties allegedly linked to former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had been tampered with.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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