Says Allegations Are Aimed at Provoking Bishnoi Gang to Target Him
Mumbai, April 1 — BJP MLA Suresh Dhas has alleged a deliberate conspiracy to falsely implicate him in wildlife crime allegations, specifically around claims of consuming deer meat. He said the motive behind the smear campaign is to provoke the Bishnoi gang into harming him.In an interview with a Marathi newspaper, Dhas said, “Some leaders from Parli in Beed district have falsely claimed that I received deer meat from Satish Bhosale. I have never consumed such meat. I am a malkari, a follower of Lord Vitthal, and we do not eat meat.”
Allegations Tied to Aide’s Arrest
Satish Bhosale, a BJP office-bearer from Beed and known aide of Dhas, was arrested last month in an attempt to murder case. He also faces a wildlife hunting case. Dhas believes that the allegations linking him to Bhosale’s actions are part of a broader plan to tarnish his image and endanger his life.“A conspiracy is being hatched to implicate me through the Bhosale case. These baseless claims are not just defamatory but intended to get me killed by the Bishnoi gang,” Dhas asserted.
Bishnoi Gang Threat Allegations
Dhas further claimed that members of the Bishnoi gang — associated with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi — had been flown into Mumbai with the intention of eliminating him. “I have information that flight tickets were purchased for individuals from Rajasthan. I will raise this matter with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis,” he said.The Bishnoi community, primarily based in Rajasthan, reveres deer as sacred. Dhas believes that invoking their religious sentiments is being used as a tactic to instigate violence against him.
Political Undercurrents
Dhas also linked the current controversy to his earlier stand on the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district. He had openly criticised NCP leader Dhananjay Munde and BJP minister Pankaja Munde over the issue. “I raised my voice on the Deshmukh murder and now this is an attempt to silence me,” he claimed.Dhananjay Munde recently stepped down from the Maharashtra cabinet after his aide, Walmik Karad, was arrested in an extortion case related to the Deshmukh murder.
Dhas maintained that the allegations were a political vendetta aimed at reversing the spotlight. “This is an attempt to turn the tables on me and malign my name,” he concluded.