After audio clip with ‘shoot him’ threat, BJP delegation seeks protection for MP and Ahmednagar candidate Sujay Vikhe-Patil

Sujay Vikhe-Patil's supporters claimed that the MVA deliberately started threatening voters due to the spontaneous response that the Mahayuti candidate was getting from citizens.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Apr 9, 2024 08:41 AM IST

The BJP delegation submits the memorandum to Ahmednagar District Collector S Salimath.

A delegation of supporters of Ahmednagar MP Dr Sujay Vikhe-Patil, who is being fielded again as the Mahayuti’s candidate from the constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, met the district collector and sought police protection for the BJP leader after an audio clip threatening to shoot him began doing the rounds.

In their memorandum submitted to the district collector, the BJP delegation claimed that the threat came in the wake of the huge support that Vikhe-Patil enjoyed in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It also expressed concern over a particular incident where some supporters used language which indicated a threat to shoot the MP.

Ahmednagar District Collector S Salimath told The Indian Express that the delegation had met him and considering the seriousness of the matter he advised the Superintendent of Police (SP) to take the required action.

It may be recalled that Nilesh Lanke, who quit as Parner MLA and left the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to join the NCP-Sharad Pawar group, is contesting for the Opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadhi (MVA) from Ahmednagar. However, even before both candidates filed their nominations, rallies have been taken out and door-to-door meetings held in efforts to display a show of strength.

Vikhe-Patil’s supporters have claimed that MVA supporters deliberately started threatening voters due to the spontaneous response that the Mahayuti candidate was getting from citizens.

The memorandum claimed that an audio clip that used such threatening language had already made the rounds. In the clip, a supporter from Parner tehsil in Ahmednagar was asked why they were enthusiastic about Vikhe-Patil when it was Nilesh Lanke who had completed a majority of the works in Parner. “Who is Vikhe-Patil? Shoot him,” the person is heard saying.

Vikhe-Patil’s supporters have sought a detailed inquiry into the matter. Ahmednagar SP Rakesh Ola told The Indian Express that the BJP workers submitted a memorandum and evidence in connection with the audio clip. “We will look into the matter,” he said.

Story continues below this ad

Meanwhile, at a huge rally in Navi Mumbai on Sunday evening, Vikhe-Patil referred to the threats without taking names, and said it would not stop him from winning the Lok Sabha election. He expressed gratitude to the organisers in Navi Mumbai, who originally hail from Ahmednagar, for the huge support for the rally. The BJP MP added that they would have an even larger victory rally on June 4, the counting day, when he claimed he would return as MP.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Tags:
Ahmednagar district

Loading Taboola...