A video showing Maharashtra's Minister of Social Justice, Sanjay Shirsat, sitting in a room with a partially opened bag that appears to contain bundles of cash has ignited a political controversy in Maharashtra. The video, which went viral on social media, was posted by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, a close aide of former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

In the video, Shirsat is seen sitting in a room, smoking a cigarette, with what looks like a stash of cash around him. Raut, in his post on X, urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to take note of the situation. He also expressed his sympathy for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, questioning how long he would tolerate his reputation being tarnished.

Shirsat, a four-time MLA from Aurangabad West, has refuted the claims that the bag contained money, insisting it only held clothes. He explained that the video was taken at his home after he had returned from traveling and removed his clothes. "The house seen in the video is my home. It shows I am sitting (clad in a banian) in my bedroom. My pet dog and a bag are also seen. This means that I have just returned from travel and removed my clothes," Shirsat stated. He further added that if he had a large sum of money, he would have kept it in a cupboard. "Had there been money, I would have kept it in the cupboard," he said. When asked if the bag only contained clothes, the Minister responded, "Of course. There were clothes in it".

This controversy emerges against the backdrop of reports that Shirsat is facing scrutiny from the Income Tax Department regarding a significant increase in his declared assets. According to reports, his assets have surged from ₹3.3 crore in 2019 to ₹35 crore in 2024. The IT department has requested an explanation for this substantial increase in his financial worth between the 2019 and 2024 Assembly elections. Shirsat has sought more time to respond to the notice.

The opposition has seized on the video, alleging that the government is turning a blind eye to corruption. Aaditya Thackeray, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA, reacted to the incident by referencing the "pannas khoke, ekdum okay" remark, a jibe used to criticize the Eknath Shinde faction.

The timing of the controversy coincides with the monsoon session of the Maharashtra legislature. Furthermore, this incident comes shortly after reports that Shirsat received an Income Tax notice.

Another Shiv Sena MLA, Sanjay Gaikwad, is also facing heat after allegedly assaulting a canteen worker at the MLA hostel.