Days after Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik questioned the credibility of the Narcotics Control Bureau by exposing corruption and irregularities in its functioning, it was the turn of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut to launch his fight against the central probe agencies including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to expose malpractices and torture and harassment of Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders and their relatives and close associates. Raut also lashed out at BJP for the alleged misuse of central probe agencies to overthrow the Shiv Sena led MVA government and defame Maharashtra.
Raut reiterated he was approached by some BJP leaders who asked him to assist in toppling the state government in Maharashtra so that the state could be pushed into mid-term elections. ‘’They had warned I would have to pay a price for not doing so. ED has been harassing and targeting him, his family members and close associates after he refused to help in toppling the Maharashtra government,’’ he noted.
‘’Central agencies are being used to topple the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, but if you think we will budge, that is not possible. We have learnt this from the late Balasaheb Thackeray,” he said. They (ED) are targeting family members of the MVA leaders to defame them, Raut claimed. ‘’There is a conspiracy afoot to topple governments in Maharashtra, West Bengal and Jharkhand,’’ he claimed.
Raut claimed that the BJP is "pressuring us to bow down". He further stated that the central agencies were also hounding Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar's family members. ‘’Pressure is being created on our leaders using these agencies. Some BJP leaders are saying that the MVA govt will fall on March 10. The government will complete its tenure. All these rumours started after I wrote to Rajya Sabha member Venkaiah Naidu. I had also called up Union Home Minister Ami Shah about the harassment of his family members and associates while telling him that they should not be targeted as agencies could question him.
Raut said that the Thackeray family is being accused of building 19 bungalows in Alibaug in Raigad district. However, he strongly refuted these charges saying that he will take journalists to these bungalows, and if they are not found then the "BJP should be shown its place".
Raut said ED officials have reached to his tailor and questioned him about the expenses incurred on his clothes stitched for his daughter’s marriage. He further added that ED officials also went to his banks and demanded the transaction records of 20 years. ‘’ED officials have also reached to a guy who was engaged for mehendi for his daughter ahead of her wedding questioning him about expenses,’’ he noted.
Raut said he has 50 guntha land in Alibaug purchased years ago. ‘’Villagers and some relatives were dragged out of their homes early in the morning by ED which threatened them to give statements against me. These tactics won’t lead to the fall the state government nor make him bow down,’’ he added.
Raut claimed that ED officials were involved in the extortion of Rs 300 crore from 70 builders in Mumbai through four people who have siphoned off money out of India. ‘’All the details, photos and videos will be made public at the right time,’’ he noted.
Furthermore, Shiv Sena MP alleged that the money from the PMC Bank scam was used by the BJP leaders to purchase land. HDIL’s Rakesh Wadhwan and one of the key accused in the PMC scam was the business partner of BJP leader (Kirit Somaiya’s son Neil). ‘’I had sent all these papers to ED thrice in the last three months, but the agency has not even questioned Somaiya once. I will expose how some ED personnel were allegedly running a ‘criminal syndicate for the BJP’. ED has been reduced as an extortion agency,’’ he said.
Raut also said there was a Rs 25,000 crore worth scam in the information technology department in Maharashtra with an alleged involvement of Vijay Dhawangale and Amol Kale. ‘’Work orders were given without tender and it will be probed,’’ he added. Incidentally, former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had held the IT department.
He further claimed that a milkman named Narwal from Haryana made Rs 3,500 crore from the previous BJP led government.
Raut said today's was a trailer and he will make further revelations in the days to come. On his announcement that BJP's 3.5 leaders will be arrested, he said it will be known when they will be sent to jail.
