BJP's Lonikar booked for alleged tirade against official, slumdwellers over power woes

Maharashtra BJP leader and former minister Babanrao Lonikar was booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly threatening an MSEDCL official and claiming that people from the slum stole electricity.

An audio clip in which Lonikar can be purportedly heard admonishing an official of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited over snapping of power supply to his Aurangabad residence had gone viral on Wednesday.

In the clip, he can be purportedly heard telling the official why he was not disconnecting supply to slums where people were stealing electricity.

Lonikar has been booked by Tehsil police station here on the complaint of Jalna Congress chief Dinkar Ghewande, who claimed the statement insults the Dalit community.

Lonikar has said the audio clip is fake and that he had not phoned any MSEDCL official over his power woes.