Honeytrap scandal in Maharashtra: Over 70 senior officials allegedly targeted
opposition demands probe
Mumbai: A massive honeytrap scandal has reportedly rocked Maharashtra, with allegations that between 72 to 75 senior government officials, including bureaucrats, police officers, and politicians, have been ensnared in an elaborate extortion scheme. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has demanded a high-level investigation into the matter, citing potential risks to national security and administrative integrity.
Raising the issue in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, senior Congress leader and former Speaker Nana Patole urged the government to act swiftly. “This is a serious matter. If confidential documents fall into the hands of anti-national elements due to this honeytrap, it would be a grave lapse,” he warned. Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar directed the government to take note of the issue.
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase echoed the concern, claiming the network of honeytraps extends across key urban centers like Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Nashik. He alleged that the victims include high-ranking government officials and politicians, raising "serious questions about the vulnerability of our governance apparatus.”
Tapase asked: “Why is the government silent on the media reports? How did this operation manage to target so many high-profile individuals without early detection? Why did intelligence agencies fail to act? What measures are being taken to prevent such incidents in the future?”
According to Tapase, the alleged mastermind behind the racket is from Nashik and is reportedly a former office-bearer of a political party. He detailed a modus operandi involving women posing as distressed individuals who gradually gained the trust of officials, then secretly recorded compromising photos and videos, using them to extort victims with threats of false rape charges.
Social activist Vijay Kumbhar added that many of the alleged incidents occurred in a luxury hotel in Nashik. “One woman has already lodged a complaint at the Mumbai Naka Police Station,” he said, questioning the silence of the Chief Minister and the inaction of the State Intelligence Department.
“If this is true, it’s disgraceful. If it’s false, why is no action being taken against those spreading misinformation? Either way, the government’s silence reeks of rot,” Kumbhar stated.
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Kangana Ranaut sparks row: Claims Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem
New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.
The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.
When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.
"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."
Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."
Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."
Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.
"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."
मनरेगा का नाम बदलने की केंद्र सरकार की कवायद महात्मा गांधी के प्रति उनकी ओछी मानसिकता और असम्मान का प्रमाण है। सरकार पहले 'पूज्य बापू' के नाम का शिगूफा छोड़ती है और फजीहत होने पर अब 'विकसित भारत-गारंटी फॉर रोजगार एंड आजीविका मिशन (VB-G RAM G)' जैसा नाम थोपना चाहती है। बार-बार नाम…
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) December 15, 2025
गांधी जी ने ‘रघुपति राघव राजा राम’ को लेकर नेशनल एंथम बनाया था
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) December 16, 2025
BJP MP कंगना रनौत
चलो भाई आज नया नेशनल एंथम भी पता चला है!
BJP में एक से एक शिरोमणि भरे पड़े हैं 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/9DvyV5xLb1
