Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 20 : Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule on Tuesday challenged BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi to a debate over allegations of a "bitcoin scam" linked to the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Taking to social media platform X, Supriya Sule stated that she is prepared to engage in a public discussion with any BJP representative at a time and place of their choosing.
"I deny all the allegations levelled against me by Sudhanshu Trivedi. All this is conjecture and innuendo, and I am ready for a debate with any representative of the bjp at a time and date of their choice, in a public forum," Sule posted on X.
In response to these accusations, Supriya Sule has filed a criminal complaint with the Election Commission and the Cyber Cell in Pune. The allegations stem from claims made by a former IPS officer accusing her of using bitcoin to finance the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Prior to filing the complaint, Sule criticised Sudhanshu Trivedi for making "baseless allegations" and accused him of disseminating false information.
"It's appalling that such baseless allegations are made by Mr Sudhanshu Trivedi, yet not surprising as it's a clear case of spreading false information, the night before elections. My lawyer will be issuing a criminal and civil defamation notice against Sudhanshu Trivedi for making outrightly false allegations with an intent to deceive the public at large," Sule posted on X, tagging Trivedi.
Earlier on Tuesday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sudhanshu Trivedi held a press conference accusing Supriya Sule and Congress leader Nana Patole of engaging in a conspiracy involving illegal bitcoin transactions to influence election results in favour of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Trivedi also presented an alleged audio clip related to these transactions, which purportedly involved "big names."
"An accused dealer contacts a former police officer, who has been jailed previously, and tells him that he (the dealer) wants to conduct bitcoin transactions in cash. The officer declines the request. However, the dealer tries to convince him, claiming that a few 'big people' are involved, allegedly naming Nana Patole and Supriya Sule. When the officer expresses doubt, the dealer sends him the audio clips," Trivedi said.
"As per the dealer's claims, the audio clips mention the need for money for elections. We now have five questions for the Congress Party: First, are you involved in bitcoin transactions? Second, are you in contact with individuals named Gaurav Gupta or Mehta? Third, are the chats in question those of your leaders? Fourth, is the audio in the clips authentic? Fifth, who are the 'big people' referred to?" he added.
Additionally, retired IPS officer Ravindranath Patil from Pune accused Supriya Sule and Nana Patole of involvement in a cryptocurrency fraud case dating back to 2018. He alleged that the funds from this fraud were used for election campaigns.
In a post on X, Supriya Sule dismissed the allegations, describing them as "familiar tactics" used to spread misinformation before polling day.
"Familiar tactics of spreading false information to manipulate the righteous voters are being resorted to, a night before polling day. We have filed a criminal complaint with the Hon'ble Election Commission and the Cyber Crime Department against the fake allegations of bitcoin misappropriation," she said.
"The intent and mala fide actors behind these allegations are amply evident. It is condemnable that such practices are taking place in a healthy democracy guided by the Constitution of India," Sule added.
Speaking to ANI, retired IPS officer Patil also alleged that Amitabh Gupta, then Commissioner of Police, Pune, and Bhagyashri Nautake, then Deputy Commissioner of Police handling Cyber Crime Investigations, were involved in the misappropriation of bitcoins, which he claimed were used by the two political leaders.