Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole, in a statement to ANI on Wednesday, expressed confidence in the party’s prospects for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. He cited growing public discontent with the BJP-led administration and its allies as a key factor.
“In Maharashtra, people are angry with the BJP and its alliance. This anger has been reflected in their votes. The vote percentage has increased,” Patole remarked.
Responding to allegations of his involvement in a Bitcoin scam, Patole asserted that the BJP’s accusations had backfired, garnering public sympathy for the Congress.
“The people are laughing at this move by the BJP. We have gained public sympathy. The people of Maharashtra know my character. Regarding the audio shared by BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, people believe the BJP is acting out of fear of defeat. We filed an FIR last night,” he added.
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On Tuesday, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi held a press conference accusing Congress leader Nana Patole and NCP MP Supriya Sule of conspiring to use illicit Bitcoin transactions to influence the election results in favor of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Trivedi presented an alleged audio clip linked to these transactions, claiming it implicated “big names.”
“An accused dealer contacts a former police officer, previously jailed, stating his intention to conduct Bitcoin transactions in cash. The officer refuses, but the dealer tries to convince him, claiming that a few ‘big people’ are involved, allegedly naming Nana Patole and Supriya Sule. When the officer expresses doubt, the dealer sends him audio clips,” Trivedi alleged.
He further posed a series of questions to the Congress Party:
“First, are you involved in Bitcoin transactions? Second, are you in contact with individuals named Gaurav Gupta or Mehta? Third, are the chats in question those of your leaders? Fourth, is the audio in the clips authentic? Fifth, who are the ‘big people’ mentioned?”
Additionally, retired IPS officer Ravindranath Patil from Pune accused Supriya Sule and Nana Patole of being involved in a cryptocurrency fraud case dating back to 2018. He claimed that funds from this fraud were utilized to finance election campaigns.
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