Opposition members blackmailing mill owners with threat of raising questions in House: BJP MLC

The member of the legislative council, Parinay Fuke, said on Thursday that he had submitted video and audio clips to support his claim to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and demanded a probe.

Mumbai: In what could snowball into a major political issue in Maharashtra, BJP legislator Dr Parinay Fuke has alleged that a legislator from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has demanded money through “agents” for not asking questions pertaining to issues involving rice mills of Gadchiroli district.

Dr Fuke, an MLC from the Bhandara-Gondiya, is considered close to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He is a former Minister of State for Public Works (excluding Public Undertakings), Forests, Tribal Development.

Dr Fuke raised the issue in the Maharashtra Legislative Council during the ongoing Budget session in Mumbai.

Dr Fuke had also submitted audio/video evidence to Fadnavis, who is also the state’s Home Minister as well as Law & Judiciary Minister.

Council Chairperson Prof Ram Shinde was in the Chair when he raised the issue in the Upper House.

“Whosoever the legislator is, whichever party the legislator is, we will take strict action,” Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam said.

“This is a serious issue,” Dr Fuke told reporters in Nagpur.

According to him, the “agent type of people” approached the office of rice mills and were heard telling what could happen if questions are asked and how it could be ensured that questions are not asked. “The clips suggest blackmailing,” he said.

It may be mentioned, a few days ago, senior Congress leader Nana Patole has raised a question vis-a-vis rice mills in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

Meanwhile, Patole, a former Speaker, dismissed the claims of Dr Fuke.

"I will not respond to statements of chillar people," said Patole, a former state Congress President.

Dr Fuke, however, has not named anyone. "I have an audio clip of the right hand man and a video clip of the leader's left hand man of the leader," he said.