Ajit Pawar Admits Supriya Sule's Voice in BJP's Audio Clips on Bitcoin Scam, Demands Inquiry
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has finally accepted that the voice in the controversy audio clips released by the BJP, accusing his sister, NCP MP Supriya Sule, of using Bitcoins to fund her campaign for the Maharashtra elections is hers. Though Pawar could identify the tone as belonging to his sister, he told the public that an inquiry will be conducted to get to the bottom of the matter.
The audio clips, released by the BJP on November 19, 2024, are of a conversation wherein Supriya Sule is heard talking about using Bitcoin for illegal funding of her election. In one clip, Sule reportedly tells Gaurav Mehta, an employee of an audit firm, that "cash in exchange for bitcoins" will be arranged and that the inquiry would be handled when they come to power. These audio clips have triggered a wave of controversy, with the BJP accusing Supriya Sule and Congress's Maharashtra president Nana Patole of involvement in "illegal bitcoin activities."
“Need cash in exchange of bitcoins...You need not to worry about inquiry… We will handle it when we come to power...”
— BJP (@BJP4India) November 19, 2024
NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Supriya Sule to Gaurav Mehta, the employee of audit firm Sarathi Associates.
(3 voice notes) pic.twitter.com/Pulphd6Oki
Another former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil has contributed further to the problem by alleging that this was a channel through which bitcoins used for the scam were funneled into the Maharashtra election campaign. However, Supriya Sule has outright rejected such claims calling them "false and baseless." Sule lodged a complaint with the Election Commission and Maharashtra's Cybercrime department, requesting that an FIR be registered against former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil and Gaurav Mehta for spreading "fake" and "malicious" information about her.
Sule responded to her brother's acknowledgement of the audio clip, saying, "He is Ajit Pawar, he can say anything," essentially rubbishing the claims. She has also declared that she is ready to stand up and defend herself against these accusations standing firmly on her view that these are mere tactics to sully her good name.
The authenticity of voices in audio clips was confirmed by Ajit Pawar, but he maintained that the whole matter would be gone into so that the facts could come out clear. "An inquiry will be done and everything will be clear," he said, emphasizing transparency.
The allegations around Bitcoin and election funding add another layer of intrigue to this ongoing drama. It is a story that will dominate headlines in the coming days and finally come to rest with the outcome of the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Also read: NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule Denies BJP's Bitcoin Scam Allegations, Calls Videos and Voice Messages Fake
