Mumbai, October 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Saturday responded sarcastically to the controversy surrounding an alleged audio clip involving a purported Rs 500-crore transaction, saying he was also trying to find out where the money was.
The controversy erupted after Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil brought the purported audio clip to public attention. The clip has triggered allegations concerning an alleged financial transaction in which Shrikant Shinde’s name has been linked.
Reacting to the controversy, Shrikant Shinde said the person who was supposedly meant to receive the Rs 500 crore had not approached him.
“The question that has crossed Manoj Jarange Patil’s mind has also crossed mine, and I am now out searching for it,” he said.
Taking a sarcastic swipe at the claims, he added that he and others had been discussing what Rs 500 crore in cash would look like and how many vehicles would be needed to transport such a huge amount.
Shrikant Shinde said the matter was now under the purview of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and expressed confidence that the facts would emerge at the appropriate time.
He added that, just as Jarange Patil was trying to establish the truth, he was also looking into the matter.
“If you find out, you tell me; if I find out, I will tell you,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, Jarange Patil has warned that he has more material to disclose, describing it as additional “nuclear bombs”.
Chief Minister Fadnavis has ordered a forensic examination of the audio clip, while the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena have called for an impartial investigation.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has alleged that a deeper conspiracy was underway to politically weaken both Jarange Patil and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. He has also demanded a technical and forensic analysis of the recording.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Chandrakant Khaire has levelled allegations against the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, questioning why Jarange Patil, who had mobilised support for the Maratha community’s demands, was allegedly being sidelined.
Khaire argued that Jarange Patil had fought for the rights of the Maratha community and that his growing influence had allegedly made some political leaders apprehensive about their own futures.
Demanding an impartial inquiry, Khaire called for the controversial audio clip to be subjected to forensic testing so that its authenticity and contents could be established.
He also demanded an investigation into Shrikant Shinde if his name was found to be connected to the alleged Rs 500-crore transaction.
Khaire further alleged that the episode had the backing of the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. These allegations have not been established.
The controversy has intensified calls from political leaders across party lines for an independent investigation to establish the authenticity of the audio clip and determine whether the alleged transaction took place.
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