States » WestPosted at: Oct 23 2026 4:55PM


Maha: Raj Thackeray accuses BJP of 'murder of democracy' over 'friendship file' audio clip

Mumbai, Oct 23 (UNI) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray today launched a blistering attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the viral 'Friendship File' audio clip controversy, denouncing it as a "direct murder and rape of democracy".
In a hard-hitting statement shared on social media, he targeted the state government over a leaked 29-minute audio recording allegedly involving BJP functionaries, a senior RSS leader, and right-leaning social media influencers. He claimed the conversation exposes strategies regarding a purported Rs 500-crore financial transaction, efforts to suppress independent media, and plans to incite religious polarisation to divert public attention from governance failures.
Dismissing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' decision to order a forensic examination of the audio file as a mere "delaying tactic," Thackeray asserted that the clip reflects deep-seated internal power struggles within the ruling alliance. "Instead of twisting technical forensic procedures for political advantage, the Chief Minister must demonstrate fairness through concrete and transparent action," he demanded.
Shifting focus to the state's severe agrarian and environmental crisis, the MNS chief warned that rampant and unauthorised groundwater extraction, coupled with rampant borewell drilling and commercial exploitation, could turn the Marathwada region into a barren desert within the next 15 to 20 years.
Highlighting acute water scarcities across major urban centres like Pune, Kalyan-Dombivli, and Jalna, he alleged an unholy nexus between politicians and a powerful "tanker lobby" that deliberately sustains water shortages for commercial gain.
The MNS chief also accused unnamed political actors of attempting to create internal rifts within Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil's campaign by backing opposing factions, warning that perpetrators of such political manipulations will eventually face public accountability. UNI NEP NST
Tags: #Maha: Raj Thackeray accuses BJP of 'murder of democracy' over 'friendship file' audio clip
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