India, Oct. 23 -- Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced a forensic probe into the audio clips that Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil released a day earlier alleging a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conspiracy to influence the political narrative ahead of the 2024 assembly elections.

One clip features a woman purportedly claiming that Rs.500 crore was paid to Jarange-Patil through Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde to benefit the BJP electorally. Another purported BJP leader discusses the need to amplify "love jihad" cases to shape public opinion. The BJP has demanded a probe into whether the recordings were real or AI-generated.

Fadnavis cited calls for an inquiry and said the forensic investigation...