11 July,2025 10:10 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sanjay Shirsat (above) dismissed the claims and said the bag had clothes in it. File Pic/X
A video showing Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat sitting beside a bag that appeared to contain bundles of cash has gone viral, sparking political controversy, reported the PTI.
Sanjay Shirsat dismissed the claims and said the bag had clothes in it, as per the PTI.
The video, which shows Sanjay Shirsat sitting casually in a vest (banian) at home, was posted by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on social media platform X.
In the video, a partially opened bag is visible on the floor beside him.
Commenting on the video, Sanjay Raut wrote, "I feel sorry for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis! How many more times will he just sit and watch his reputation being torn to shreds? Helplessness has another name: Fadnavis!" He also called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take note of the incident, according to the PTI.
Responding to the video, Sanjay Shirsat told reporters in Mumbai, "The house shown in the video is mine. I'm sitting in my bedroom, wearing a banian, and my pet dog is also visible. The bag shown is mine -- I had just returned from travel and had kept my clothes in it," the PTI reported.
He said, "If I really had to keep such a big bag of cash, would not I just keep it in a cupboard? But people see notes even in a cloth bag. If there was money, I wouldn't leave it lying around," the news agency reported.
When asked directly if the bag only contained clothes, he replied, "Of course. It had clothes in it."
Shirsat also said that such allegations would not affect his political career.
The video surfaced just a day after reports emerged that Shirsat is under scrutiny by the Income Tax Department. According to sources, the department is investigating a sharp rise in his declared assets -- from Rs 3.3 crore in 2019 to Rs 35 crore in 2024.
On Thursday, Shirsat confirmed that he had received a notice from the IT Department and has requested more time to respond.
(with PTI inputs)
