Senior National Spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party Sudhanshu Trivedi. File
| Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar
On the eve of the Assembly election in Maharashtra, the BJP on Tuesday (November 19, 2024) accused State Congress president Nana Patole and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Supriya Sule of possible links to illegal trade in bitcoins.
At a press conference held at the BJP’s national headquarters in the evening, party spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi referred to media reports, certain audio files and a WhatsApp chat on the issue.
“These videos and chats show that a dealer gets in touch with a former police person, who had left service under a cloud, to help him in encashing and moving the proceeds of a bitcoin transaction. It also purports to show interactions between the dealer, named Gaurav Mehta, and Nana Patole and Supriya Sule on the same issue, in which the dealer is being assured that if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) comes to power, no inquiry into the transaction will take place,” said Mr. Trivedi.
He added that since these revelations had come out owing to “media reports”, the BJP wanted to put some questions to the Congress and its MVA partners. “Our first question is whether the Congress is involved in bitcoin transactions and whether these are legal or illegal. Next, whether they have had any knowledge or interactions with the dealer mentioned in the tapes, Gaurav Mehta, or a person mentioned by him, a Mr. Gupta,” said Mr. Trivedi. “The audio tapes clearly make a mention of a fear of some ‘big people’ , we want to know who these big people are,” he added.
He said the track record of the MVA while in the government was such that people would believe these allegations. “This was a government where the State Home Minister was accused of extorting ₹100 crore a month by the Police Commissioner, with the Minister then landing in jail and the Police Commissioner absconding,” he said.
Supriya Sule files complaint
Ms. Sule has filed a criminal complaint with the cyber crime department and wrote to the Election Commission against what she termed “fake allegations of bitcoin misappropriation”.
“The intent and malafide actors behind it are amply evident, condemn worthy that such practices are taking place in a healthy democracy guided by the Constitution of India,” she posted on X. She categorically denied the allegations and said she was ready to hold a debate with the BJP over the issue.
“It’s appalling that such baseless allegations are made by Mr. Sudhanshu Trivedi, yet not surprising as it’s a clear case of spreading false information the night before elections. My lawyer will be issuing a criminal & civil defamation notice against Sudhanshu Trivedi for making outrightly false allegations with an intent to deceive the public at large,” she added.
In the run-up to the election, the State saw several serious incidents, including an attack on former State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. On Tuesday morning (November 19, 2024), allegations were levelled against BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde that he tried to influence the election in Vasai Virar by distributing cash.
Published – November 20, 2024 01:01 am IST
