Bitcoin Scam Row: Supriya Sule Dismisses Ajit Pawar's Claim of Recognizing Voices in Audio Clips

Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had publicly claimed to have recognized voices in purported audio clips presented by former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil.

Former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil's explosive allegations against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole dominated polling day in Maharashtra, escalating into a major political controversy.

Patil accused the two leaders of using proceeds from the 2018 Bitcoin scam to fund their election campaign, sparking a heated exchange between Sule and her cousin, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.

Sule vehemently denied the charges, labeling them as baseless and defamatory. She announced filing both criminal and defamation cases in response, adding, "These allegations are entirely false and fabricated. I am ready to address these claims anywhere, anytime." Sule also stated her intention to take legal action against BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi, who had publicly repeated the accusations.

The controversy reached a boiling point when Pawar, at a press conference, claimed to have recognized voices in purported audio clips presented by Patil, suggesting one belonged to Sule. He confirmed that an inquiry would be conducted to ascertain the truth. "From the tone of the audio, I can identify the voices. One is my sister, and the other is someone I have worked with extensively," Pawar said, adding fuel to the political firestorm.

In response, Sule dismissed Ajit Pawar's remarks, sarcastically retorting, "He is Ajit Pawar; he can say anything. ‘Ram Krishna Hari.’" She cast her vote confidently in Baramati, unfazed by the mounting allegations.

The row erupted after Patil accused Sule and Patole of misappropriating bitcoins from the 2018 cryptocurrency fraud to fund the election campaign. The BJP swiftly capitalized on the controversy, releasing what it claimed were voice recordings implicating the two leaders.

BJP's Trivedi seized the moment, calling the scandal a revelation that "unmasked" the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.

Sule, however, rejected the claims as "conjecture and innuendo," inviting any BJP representative to engage in a public debate on the matter. She also lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission of India and Maharashtra's cyber crime department, targeting Patil and Gaurav Mehta, a witness in the 2018 Bitcoin case, for spreading "false information."