Maharashtra Elections 2024: As voting commenced for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday, Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and senior NCP leader Supriya Sule found themselves locked in a heated exchange following the release of a video clip allegedly exposing attempts to use Bitcoins to sway the ongoing elections.
On Tuesday, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi shared audio clips allegedly featuring the voices of two opposition leaders. Trivedi claimed the clips revealed illegal use of Bitcoins to fund election campaigns.
After casting his vote in Baramati, Ajit Pawar stated that the voice in the clip belonged to Supriya Sule. “From the tone in the audio clips, I can identify the voices. One of them is my sister, and the other is someone I have worked with extensively. An inquiry will be conducted, and the truth will come out,” he said outside the polling booth.
Sule, however, vehemently denied the allegations. “I have filed a defamation case and a criminal case. I am ready to answer his (Sudhanshu Trivedi) questions wherever he wants. Time of his choice, place of his choice and platform of his choice. I am ready to answer him because all the allegations are completely false,” she asserted.
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What is the controversy about?
Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed the audio clips had “exposed” the MVA’s election campaign and demanded answers from Congress and Sule. The clips allegedly feature the two opposition leaders discussing Bitcoin transactions meant to fund their election efforts. Trivedi suggested the MVA was on the back foot, fearing a defeat in the polls.
In one of the clips, a voice supposedly belonging to one of the leaders tells an operator that any inquiry will be dealt with once their government is in power. Trivedi also alleged that a former IPS officer was involved in the conversations.
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“These are serious and dangerous allegations,” Trivedi said, urging Sule to respond point-by-point, particularly on whether the voices in the clips were hers and if the transactions were indeed illegal.
He further highlighted the involvement of influential figures and demanded clarity from Congress on who was involved in the Bitcoin transactions and whether they were legal.
Trivedi also recalled a previous accusation against the MVA’s home minister during its tenure, alleging the collection of Rs 100 crore a month, and accused the Congress of using digital transactions for corruption rather than for public welfare.
In her response, Sule took to X late Tuesday, denouncing the claims as part of a strategy to manipulate voters before the elections. “We have filed a criminal complaint to the ECI & the Cybercrime Department against the fake allegations made of bitcoin misappropriation. The intent and mala fide 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 wrote, calling out the spread of misinformation in the run-up to the polls.