​Latur units of BJP & Congress trade charges over political affiliation of NEET scam accused

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: BJP and Congress politicians in Latur have traded charges over the alleged political affiliation of Shivraj Motegaonkar, owner of the Latur-based RCC coaching institute and one of the accused in the NEET paper leak case.The local BJP unit has circulated an old video featuring Motegaonkar alongside Congress leader Amit Deshmukh, in which he is purportedly heard pledging loyalty to the party for the next “seven lives”. BJP’s Ausa MLA Abhimanyu Pawar alleged that Motegaonkar was a Congress worker “who openly campaigned for the party during the last assembly elections”.“Given this, Congress targeting BJP over the NEET scam is not only surprising but laughable,” Pawar said.Responding to the allegations, Congress member Pravin Suryawanshi said the people of Latur were well aware of Motegaonkar’s actual political links. “Motegaonkar’s brother, Shrikrishna, is a BJP office bearer in Renapur, while his wife, Suman, is a BJP councillor in the Renapur Nagar Panchayat,” he said.Suryawanshi also released photographs showing Motegaonkar with BJP politicians, including Latur rural MLA Ramesh Karad.Coaching institute faces protestsA day after AIMIM targeted the RCC coaching institute in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, local units of Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) staged similar protests on Tuesday. Demonstrators attempted to pelt stones and tear down advertisements outside the institute, but police intervention prevented any escalation.Inspector Pravina Yadav said strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to take the law into their own hands. “The accused has been arrested and remanded to police custody for nine days. Such extended custody is typically granted in serious cases,” she said.Meanwhile, vacations have been announced across various branches of the coaching institute in the Marathwada region. Heavy police deployment has been put in place at centres in both Sambhajinagar and Latur following protests by opposition parties.