Maharashtra | BJP's 'Bitcoin scam' charges rock MVA ahead of polling; Sule moves EC

A major controversy erupted ahead of the polling for the Maharashtra Assembly polls on Wednesday (November 20), as the BJP played purported voice notes of Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule to allege attempts to encash Bitcoins to influence the elections.

The BJP claimed it poses a serious question on the conduct of polls in a free and fair manner. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed that the development has "unmasked" the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and sought replies from the Congress and Sule, a Lok Sabha MP and daughter of NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar.

Ahead of the BJP's scheduled press conference, Sule posted on X about the “familiar tactics of spreading false information to manipulate the righteous voters” before the polling day on Wednesday.

Criminal complaint lodged

She said, "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."

Sharing the audios in which the voices and signal chats purportedly belonging to the two opposition leaders stress the Bitcoin transactions for allegedly funding their poll campaign, Trivedi said it is clear that the MVA has seen the writing on the wall that it is facing defeat in the polls. One leader allegedly tells an operator that they will deal with any enquiry once their government is formed, Trivedi said.

The BJP alleged that a former IPS officer was one of the persons who was part of the conversations. These are very serious and dangerous comments, the BJP spokesperson said and asked Sule to give a point-by-point rebuttal, including if it was her voice and message, instead of offering a "vague and generic" reply.

Involvement of big fish?

The audio record also suggests the involvement of big persons, and the Congress must answer who are those, Trivedi said, adding that it must be clarified whether the opposition leaders were engaged in Bitcoin transactions. If yes, then was the transaction illegal, he added.

When the MVA was in power in Maharashtra, its home minister was accused by the commissioner of police of collecting Rs 100 crore every month, the senior BJP leader said.

The Congress may not have used digital transactions for good governance and society's welfare but it has resorted to this for corruption, he alleged. "They have been unmasked," Trivedi said.

Earlier in the day, the Opposition had accused BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde of being involved in a "cash for votes" scandal citing a video. Tawde and the BJP have rejected the charge.

Trivedi also took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, wondering if the products for his "Mohabbat ki dukan" are being funded from abroad.

(With agency inputs)