Mumbai, Maharashtra – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday responded to Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut’s sensational claims of four Maharashtra ministers being “honey-trapped,” urging him to present evidence and “not be afraid.”
Raut ignited the controversy with a post on X (formerly Twitter), where he shared a photo of Prafulla Lodha, an individual accused in POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) and honey-trap cases in Mumbai, alongside BJP minister Girish Mahajan.
In his X post, Raut directly challenged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, stating, “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!”
He further escalated his allegations, claiming, “Many officials are trapped! 4 young MPs who broke away from Shiv Sena (at that time) fled because of this very trap.” Later, speaking to reporters, Raut explicitly alleged, “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.”
In response, BJP leader and Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule countered Raut’s claims, stating they were “a poor attempt to stay in the limelight.” He challenged Raut: “He should not be afraid. If he has any material related to honeytrap claims, he must come forward and show it.”
Last week, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had informed the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly that no cases of blackmailing through honey-trap had been reported in the state. Raut’s latest allegations directly contradict Fadnavis’s statement, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP asserting that Fadnavis had “lied in the House.”
The “honey-trap” issue gained prominence last week when Congress MLA Nana Patole urged the state government to make a formal statement on an alleged racket targeting state officials in Thane, Nashik, and the secretariat in Mumbai. Patole had claimed to possess proof of these allegations on a pen drive.
Bawankule dismissed the accusations from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders, stating they were “resorting to falsehoods” and spreading “outright lies.” He added, “The MVA leaders could not even save their own MLAs and MPs. Now they are resorting to falsehoods.”
The political spat highlights escalating tensions in Maharashtra, with the opposition attempting to put the ruling coalition on the defensive over serious allegations.