The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday reacted to Sanjay Raut's claims of four Maharashtra ministers being “honey-trapped”, saying that the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP should come forward with the proofs and that he should not be afraid.
In a post on X, Raut shared a photo of Prafulla Lodha, an accused in POCSO and honeytrap cases in Mumbai, with BJP minister Girish Mahajan.
“Chief Minister Devendraji misleads even in the Legislative Assembly. He said there is no honey trap in Maharashtra. Let there be a CBI inquiry into this one photo! The truth will be revealed!” Raut said in the post.
He further added, “Many officials are trapped! 4 young MPs who broke away from Shiv Sena (at that time) fled because of this very trap."
Following the allegation, BJP leader and Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said that Raut “should not be afraid” if he has evidence of “honey-trapping”, PTI reported.
“He should not be afraid. If he has any material related to honeytrap claims, he must come forward and show it,” Bawankule said. Contesting the claims, he said they were “a poor attempt to stay in the limelight”.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had, last week, told the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly that no cases of blackmailing through honeytrap had been reported in the state.
{{/usCountry}}Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had, last week, told the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly that no cases of blackmailing through honeytrap had been reported in the state.
{{/usCountry}}Raut on Monday alleged that Fadnavis had lied in the House, claiming that four ministers had been “honey-trapped”. “Of the MPs who left the (undivided Shiv Sena), four were honey trapped and they were pressured and got cleansed after joining hands with the BJP,” Raut told reporters, according to PTI.
Last week, Congress MLA Nana Patole had urged the state government to make a formal statement on an alleged “honeytrap” racket which was targeting state officials in Thane, Nashik, and the secretariat in Mumbai.
The Congress MLA claimed he had proof about the allegations in a pen drive.
Responding to the claims, Bawankule said that the leaders of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi were “resorting to falsehoods” and spreading “outright lies”.
“The MVA leaders could not even save their own MLAs and MPs. Now they are resorting to falsehoods,” Bawankule said.