A few days ago, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule was seen in a casino in Macau, sharing the photograph Shiv Sena (UTB) leader Sanjay Raut had posted a photograph on X purportedly showing Bawankule in a casino in Macau. He wrote in his post, “I do not know whose photo it is. Someone told me he was a prominent personality from Maharashtra. Within a span of twenty-four hours, he spent â‚ą3.5 crore. It means there is suddenly ‘acche din’ in Maharashtra,” he told reporters two days ago.
While clarifying the allegation, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said it was a deliberate attempt to defame him and hurt his family. He denied allegations made by Raut that he was seen in a casino in Macau. Bawankule claims the photo was taken to defame him and says it is impossible to take such a large amount of money to a foreign country. Raut has defended his actions, saying he tweeted the photo out of humanity.
“I have reached this stature through hard work and struggle. I am so busy with party work that I manage to spend only one day a month with my family. They (the family) insisted that I stay with them for three days, and hence we planned a trip to Macau. Every hotel there has a casino, and you cannot reach your room without going past the casino. The picture was clicked during that period just to defame me,” he said.
Bawankule further explained how anyone could take Rs 3.5 crore to a foreign country. “Even if you carry Rs 1 lakh, you are made to go through several rounds of checks. Neither do I have any friends there. Therefore, the question of spending such a huge amount does not arise at all.”
To counter Bawankule, Raut tweeted only one photograph of humanity. “Bawankule should teach leaders from his own party about the pain the families of opposition leaders go through after the attack from those in the ruling alliance. What the leaders of his party do is part of their culture.”
