Mumbai: The ongoing controversy involving BJP State Chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's alleged presence in a Macau casino takes a heated turn as Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut fires back on social media on Tuesday. Raut emphasized that his initial tweet never explicitly named Bawankule and accused the BJP of accidentally confirming their leader's identity.
"Did I name or made allegations against anyone in my tweet ? NO ! All I said in my simple Tweet was that 'some Nero is busy gambling in Macau (China) as Maharashtra burns...' But the BJP threw a hit wicket and went on to announunce that the person in picture is 'their' State President (!) Well, well, well... this is what they call in Hindi - 'Aa Bail, mujhe maar" !!"
Raut's Allegations Against Bawankule
Sanjay Raut's initial allegation, shared on his official social media account on Monday, accused Bawankule of gambling in Macau and losing a staggering Rs 3.50 crore in a single night. Raut linked this controversy to the context of Maharashtra grappling with the Maratha reservation issue, criticising Bawankule's priorities amidst the state's pressing challenges.
Sanjay Raut tweeted in Marathi, "Maharashtra is on fire... And this gentleman is gambling in a casino in Macau. Try zooming the photo...are they the same? Picture is still pending".
Bawankule Reacts To Raut's Allegations
In response to the allegations, Bawankule issued a clarification, asserting that the photo was taken in a hotel restaurant, not a casino. However, Raut dismisses this explanation, suggesting that the people in the photo are Bawankule's family and questioning the leader's presence in the casino if he has never engaged in gambling.
Bawankule shared the pictures of his family with him on the trip. The BJP leader wrote, "This is the complex of the hotel where I stayed with my family in Macau. The hotel has a restaurant and casino on the ground floor. That photo was taken by someone when I was sitting in the restaurant with my family after dinner."
