Sanjay Raut accuses Chandrashekhar Bawankule of spending Rs 3.5 crore at Macau casino; BJP hits back

Mumbai: In what sparked off yet another round of political slugfest in Maharashtra, former CM Uddhav Thackeray’s close aide and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, posted a photo of state BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule in Macau suggesting that he was gambling.

On the other hand, BJP responded with a photo of Aaditya Thackeray with a glass in his hand at a social gathering in Mumbai which was graced by legendary English footballer David Beckham. 

The photo of Bawankule, a former minister and MLC, in a poker table in Macau - an autonomous region in China often referred to as ‘Las Vegas of Asia’ - has invited criticism from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi. 

In a two-set post on X which photos, Raut, however, has not named Bawankule.

“Maharashtra is on fire. And this gentleman is gambling in a casino in Macau. Try zooming the photo. Are they the same? Picture is still pending,” Raut said and claimed that the person lost Rs 3.50 crore while gambling at the casino in a single night.

Bawankule himself came out with a clarification and said that he was in Macau on a family trip and posted photos to support his claim.

"This is the area of the hotel where I stayed with my family in Macau. The hotel has a restaurant and casino on the ground floor. This is a photo someone took while I was sitting in a restaurant with my family after dinner,” he said. 

The BJP reacted with the post on Aaditya, a former tourism minister of Maharashtra.

“Our state president (Bawankule) has never gambled in his life. This area is in the vicinity of a place where he was staying with his family. However those whose life has been gambled away can’t see beyond it. Please tell us as to what brand of whiskey is in the glass.”

Meanwhile, state Congress president Nana Patole sought a probe into Bawankule’s photo in the casino.

"Farmers in Maharashtra are in trouble, youth are suffering due to unemployment, and inflation has made it difficult for people to live, but the ruling BJP continues to be unaffected. Photos of Bawankule gambling in Macau have gone viral on social media. Sanjay Raut has put out the photos. Is this photo real? Was Bawankule gambling? And from where did Bawankule get crores of rupees to blow away in a gamble?, all these questions should be investigated,” he said and urged DyCM Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, for a probe. 

Talking to reporters later in the day, Raut said, “I have 27 photos and five videos of him (Bawankule), but I have the decency not to publish them. If I make those videos public, it will cause major embarrassment to him and the party.”