Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat has triggered a controversy after a video went viral online purportedly showing him smoking in a private room with a bag believed to be containing money next to him. The video came a day after he had admitted to receiving an income tax notice to clarify a sudden spike in his assets during the 2019 and 2024 Assembly elections.
The clip was uploaded on social media by Sanjay Raut of the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) group. In a sharp criticism of the ruling coalition, Raut stated, "I feel sorry for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis! How many more times will he sit idle and witness his reputation being shredded into pieces? Fadnavis is another name for helplessness!"
Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat argued that the bag near his bed held clothes and not money as alleged by Raut.
Shirsat, an Aurangabad (West) legislator and a member of the Shiv Sena group of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, confirmed that he had received a notice from the Income Tax Department demanding an explanation regarding the increase in his personal assets over the last five years.
"Few individuals had complained against me to the income-tax department, on the basis of which I received a notice. I was to reply to it by Wednesday, but requested for an extension of time. I shall provide an appropriate response. Nothing improper has been done," said Shirsat.
Also read: Mumbai cops act on MLA Gaikwad’s viral assault video
Raut's party colleague Aaditya Thackeray also leapt to condemn Shirsat, appealing to the tax department and Chief Minister Fadnavis to act.
"Today, it's Sanjay Sirsat, sitting in vest and underwear. We speak of 'Khokhe' (cash boxes), '50 Khokhe, Ekdum Okay', one is easily visible in the video. All these shenanigans going on in vests and undergarments, cash-filled bags next to him, from where did all this money originate? From whom? Can anyone just walk around with such bundles of notes? And regarding the Income Tax notice which came the other day, will the IT department wake up? Will anything be done on the Chief Minister's instructions or not? These are questions which must be answered," Thackeray said. Shirsat had alleged that Lok Sabha MP and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's son Shrikant Shinde had also been served a similar notice. He later withdrew the claim, stating: "Someone asked me a leading question. My answer was put out as if I was confirming a notice to Shrikant Shinde. I want to make it clear that I have no knowledge about that."
In another case last week, a video footage of Shirsat addressing a gathering in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar made the rounds online, wherein he seemed to make fun of the episode. The minister is heard stating in the video: "Now, black money is not going to be useful. I am speaking for myself."
He said he has already talked to his chartered accountant and was working on a detailed reply to the notice. "It is simple to make money, but spending it has become complicated," he joked, making the audience laugh.
The minister tried to defuse the clip, saying his remarks were said in a light vein and were not meant to be an admission of guilt.
Follow us
