Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a high-level investigation into a video allegedly showing BJP leader Kirit Somaiya in a compromising position with a woman after it caused a stir in the state legislature.
A Marathi TV channel repeatedly aired the alleged video.
Terming the incident a serious issue, Fadnavis said that the police would be informed to identify the woman featured in the video with a vow that the government would not provide any protection to the accused.
Meanwhile, Somaiya himself wrote to Fadnavis, requesting an inquiry into the video's authenticity, and took to Twitter to deny any wrongdoing towards women.
Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve presented a pen drive containing approximately eight hours of video footage allegedly featuring Somaiya. Danve hailed the woman who provided him with the videos and raised concerns about possible extortion. He questioned the leader's close ties with enforcement agencies and demanded the removal of his CISF protection.
Opposition leaders joined the uproar, demanding an investigation into the video's veracity. They accused Somaiya of causing harm to numerous individuals through alleged harassment facilitated by central agencies.
Anil Parab of the Shiv Sena called for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to determine the truth behind the video and ascertain if the woman had been subjected to blackmail.
While Somaiya denied harassment allegations, he did not explicitly claim the video was fake. Parab urged the home minister to initiate a probe and suggested that removing Somaiya's security detail would deter such behaviour in the future.