Nitesh Rane tweets Sena leader's photo with cash, latter threatens to file police complaint

Rane posted the photo, taken from the top angle and which does not clearly show anyone's face, with a caption in Marathi that read - 'Virat sabhecha formula' (formula for a grand rally), alleging that people were paid to attend Uddhav Thackeray's rally held in Aurangabad.

A day after Shiv Sena president and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray addressed a rally, BJP MLA Nitesh Rane on Thursday tweeted a photograph of Sena leader Chandrakant Khaire standing with a bundle of cash in hand and surrounded by a few people.

BJP MLA Nitesh Rane.

Rane posted the photo, which was taken from the top angle and which does not clearly show anyone's face, with a caption in Marathi that read - 'Virat sabhecha formula' (formula for a grand rally), implying that people were paid to attend Thackeray's rally held at Marathwada Sanskrutik Mandal ground in the city.

Talking about Rane's tweet, Khaire said, "This is an old photograph. My dress was different today. See the colour of my hair in that photo. The picture tweeted (by Rane) was clicked maybe 5-10 years back when someone took money from me for some temple construction."

"I am going to meet the commissioner of police and ask him to register an offence in this connection. If it is not done, then I will file a formal complaint. BJP should not make such false claims. People came to the rally by spending from their own pockets," he said. Khaire is Shiv Sena's former Lok Sabha member from Aurangabad.