States » WestPosted at: Oct 22 2026 5:37PM


BJP seeks SIT probe into audio clip played by Manoj Jarange Patil

Mumbai, Oct 22 (UNI) BJP Maharashtra chief spokesperson Navnath Ban on Thursday said he would urge Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to order a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into an audio clip played by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil to establish its authenticity.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP's state headquarters, Ban said a thorough investigation was necessary in view of the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create fake audio recordings and videos.
In the age of AI, it has become difficult to determine whether an audio clip or video is genuine or fabricated.
Therefore, the truth behind the clip played by Jarange Patil must be established through a detailed investigation, Ban said.
He referred to instances of AI-generated voices of prominent personalities and alleged attempts to deceive people using fabricated audio recordings.
He also noted that the conversation reportedly referred to in the clip appeared to date back to the period before the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Ban said the audio clip reportedly mentioned Rs 500 crore and the Assembly elections held two years ago.
He referred to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's clarification that he had not paid Rs 500 crore to anyone and Jarange Patil's statement that he had not received such an amount from anyone.
It is important to establish who gave the audio clip to Jarange Patil and whether it is genuine.
The police and the Home Department have the authority to investigate the matter.
"Whether the recording is original, fabricated, AI-generated or created through some other means must be determined before drawing any conclusions," he said.
Ban said the state Home Department should consider appointing a special task force or an SIT to investigate the matter and bring the facts to light.
On the question of Jarange Patil's security, Ban said the Home Department would take an appropriate decision if additional protection was required. "His security is important. If the security currently provided to him is inadequate, the police and the Home Department will decide whether it needs to be strengthened," he said.
Ban also defended the BJP-led government's efforts to address the demands of the Maratha community, crediting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with taking steps towards providing reservation to the community.
He said the state government had introduced reservation measures for the Maratha community during Fadnavis' earlier tenure as chief minister, following widespread protests after the Kopardi incident.
He added that the government was continuing efforts to extend benefits to eligible members of the Maratha community, including those possessing Kunbi records, through the issuance of caste certificates and caste validity certificates.
Referring to the series of Maratha marches held across Maharashtra, Ban said the BJP remained committed to addressing the community's demands concerning reservation, education and employment.
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Tags: #BJP seeks SIT probe into audio clip played by Manoj Jarange Patil
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