On 28 October 2023, Manoj Jarange, a Maratha quota activist, uploaded a 13‑minute audio clip purporting to reveal that Rs 500 crore had been handed to him through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde. The recording, which surfaced on social media, also hints at a broader scheme to silence him and curtail the Maratha reservation movement.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking at a press conference in Ambad, said the state would launch a forensic probe into the alleged payment and investigate the parties involved. 'We will investigate it thoroughly,' he told reporters, adding that the timing of the clip raised questions about its motive.
BJP leaders reacted sharply. Chandrashekhar Bawankule urged Jarange to file a police complaint if he could produce evidence, while Minister Ashish Shelar dismissed the audio as 'unverified' and called for a fact‑checking process. Shiv Sena MPs labeled the clip a 'defamation plot' aimed at undermining Eknath Shinde and the party.
Jarange, who has been agitating in Marathwada for Maratha reservation and farmer debt relief, claims the audio exposes a political conspiracy that began two and a half years ago. He said the clip was released after Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde dared him to prove the Rs 500 crore claim, and he now seeks a probe by Modi, Fadnavis, and Shinde.
Fadnavis indicated that a joint committee comprising police, forensic experts, and a parliamentary affairs officer would examine the audio by 15 November. The investigation could influence the 2024 Maharashtra assembly election campaign, where Maratha voters will be a decisive bloc.