Quicksplained: Who is Jaykumar Gore, Maha minister accused of sending obscene photos to woman?

A Maharashtra minister is facing backlash from opposition leaders over allegations of harassment and sending obscene photos to a woman.

Maharashtra’s rural development minister, Jaykumar Gore, is at the centre of the controversy after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader of sending obscene images to a woman.

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Notably, Gore has denied the accusations and stated that he will take legal action for defamation against those making the claims.

Meanwhile, the opposition is calling for his resignation, coming just a day after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde stepped down following murder charges against his close aide.

Sanjay Raut has also said that the alleged victim plans to stage a protest outside the Vidhan Sabha in the coming days.

But who is Jaykumar Gore? What exactly are the allegations against him? How has the opposition responded, and how did he react on the matter?

Let’s answer these questions:

Who is Jaykumar Gore and what are the allegations against him: Explained in 10 points

1. Jaykumar Gore represents the Man-Khatav constituency in Maharashtra’s Satara district as an MLA.

2. The BJP leader currently serves as Maharashtra’s Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.

3. Previously a Congress MLA, Gore switched to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019 and secured victories in both the 2019 and 2024 assembly elections.

4. The case in question dates back to 2016, when Gore was still with Congress. A complaint was filed against him for allegedly sending inappropriate images to a woman.

5. Following the complaint, Gore sought relief from the Satara District Court and the Mumbai High Court to prevent his arrest.

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6. However, his bail plea was rejected at the time, and he was later jailed for ten days.

7. While the case was reportedly settled, the woman has alleged continued harassment. In January, she wrote to the Governor, claiming that her name and address had gone viral across multiple WhatsApp groups.

8. She also started receiving letters related to the case, which, according to her, were later shared on social media, The Week reported.

9. Gore has defended himself, stating that the court had already acquitted him in 2019. He said, “I have a copy of the verdict. In the verdict, the court has acquitted me. The court had ordered the destruction of the seized material and mobile phone”

10. He also said that it had been six years since the court’s decision and questioned the timing of the allegations resurfacing. “Political leaders should set limits on what to say at what time,” he said.

Opposition demands Gore’s resignation

The opposition has called for Jaykumar Gore’s removal from the cabinet, alleging that he harassed a woman and sent her inappropriate images.

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar claimed that the minister had once again threatened the woman and urged for his dismissal, The Times of India reported.

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While Wadettiwar refrained from naming Gore directly, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut explicitly accused him. Raut also stated that the victim planned to stage a hunger strike outside the Vidhan Bhavan.

He alleged that Gore had molested a woman from the family of Hambirrao Mohite, a prominent Maratha warrior.

Raut said, “Information has surfaced about how this minister has tortured and molested a woman. That helpless woman will sit on a hunger strike in front of Vidhan Bhavan in the next few days.”

“This issue will have to be raised in the Legislative Assembly. Such ministers should be kicked out.”

Meanwhile, BJP Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said he would gather details on the matter before making any statements.

With inputs from agencies