With the BJP and its NDA allies intensifying efforts to leverage the pre-election allegations of bitcoin fraud against Supriya Sule, the senior NCP (Pawar) leader and daughter of Sharad Pawar has y dismissed the claims as baseless. Meanwhile, her uncle and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has promised a comprehensive investigation into the matter.
Ajit Pawar, addressing the media on Wednesday morning, assured that the Maharashtra government would probe the allegations against his cousin, Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule. “An inquiry will be conducted, and the truth will come before the people,” he said.
These remarks emerge amidst the deepening split within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), now divided into two factions—one helmed by Ajit Pawar and the other by Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule.
The allegations stem from retired IPS officer Ravindranath Patil, who accused Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole of participating in a cryptocurrency fraud dating back to 2018. Patil claimed the funds from these transactions were used to finance election campaigns.
The BJP wasted no time in amplifying these claims, with Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi accusing Sule and Patole of using illegal bitcoin deals to influence election outcomes. At a press conference, Trivedi elaborated on the accusations, stating that an accused bitcoin trader had implicated the two leaders in recorded audio clips.
“The trader approached a retired police officer, previously jailed, to assist with cash-based bitcoin transactions. Although initially hesitant, the officer was reportedly persuaded after the trader claimed backing from ‘big people’ such as Supriya Sule and Nana Patole. The trader even provided audio clips as proof,” Trivedi said.
The BJP further posed five pointed questions to Congress, demanding clarity: “Are you involved in bitcoin transactions? Do you have connections with individuals named Gaurav Gupta or Mehta? Are the conversations under scrutiny linked to your leaders? Is the audio clip genuine? And who are the ‘big people’ mentioned by the trader?”
Supriya Sule has categorically rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated. She challenged the BJP to a public debate, asserting, “I deny all these allegations. I am prepared to address these claims in any public forum, at a time and place of their choice.” She announced legal measures, including defamation suits against Trivedi for spreading “false and defamatory” claims.
In her complaint to the Election Commission and Pune’s Cyber Cell, Sule alleged that the accusations were a deliberate effort to mislead the public on the eve of elections. Reacting to Ajit Pawar’s assertion that her voice was identifiable in the audio clips, Sule retorted, “He is Ajit Pawar; he can say anything.”
This controversy unfolds against the backdrop of a fierce rivalry within the NCP. Ajit Pawar’s defection to the BJP-Shiv Sena government in 2023 has further deepened the divide, making this election a critical test of public support for both factions.
As the probe progresses, it not only challenges the credibility of the implicated leaders but also adds another layer of complexity to Maharashtra’s already volatile political landscape. Both NCP factions are now locked in a high-stakes battle for dominance ahead of the elections.
