Maharashtra minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule demanded proper investigation into alleged voter cash but said Nilesh Rane’s entry into a worker’s bedroom under the guise of a sting operation was questionable and overstepped boundaries
Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Filepic
Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday, while slamming a BJP leader, said that 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.
As reported by news agency PTI, the senior BJP leader 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 further 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”, reported PTI.
The allegations, which were soon denied by the BJP, added to the simmering tension between the two allies in the state government.
Speaking to the media 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," as cited by news agency PTI.
Furthermore, the BJP leader said that 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.
Rane, while talking to the media about the alleged "bag of cash", said that 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, as per PTI.
He further added that the Election Commission and local police would conduct the necessary enquiries, and "if some wrongdoing is found, then there will be appropriate legal action," he said.
As soon as these allegations came out in public, the Maharashtra BJP minister Ashish Shelar termed Nilesh Rane's allegations completely false.
Following the "sting operation", election officials and police reached the BJP worker's house. He claimed that the money was meant for his business and had nothing to do with the elections.
Maharashtra local body elections and nagar panchayat elections in Maharashtra are set to take place on December 2.
(With inputs from PTI)
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