Mumbai: A day after his wife Varsha received notice from Enforcement Directorate to appear on December 29 in connection with the PMC Bank scam, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack against the BJP, saying he was not afraid of the ED or any other Central agency and didn't give them any importance. But, he announced that if the BJP were to go on targeting the opposition by roping in Central investigating agencies, he would reveal at an appropriate time, cases related to 120 BJP leaders which would jolt the Centre.
‘‘Do not mess with me, I am a Shiv Sainik. I have a file on the BJP, if I open it you will have to leave the country. I have the names of 120 people. I will give them soon to the ED. There are so many names that the ED will have to work for five years. Then they will know who has messed up,’’ said Raut at the press conference.
‘‘Central agencies are being misused. I have no reason to be afraid,’’ he noted. He announced that the Shiv Sena would reply in its own style to the BJP if the latter continued to play vendetta politics.
Raut claimed the Central government had "stooped so low" as to target the kids, women and families of their political opponents. He claimed that the ED notice was a "political move". The Centre was using the ED to settle scores with opposition leaders, intending to destabilise the state government.
He said many prominent names who were crucial in government formation had been sent notices by the ED in the last one year.
‘‘When political opponents cannot be eliminated politically, they have to use weapons like police, ED, CBI. CBI and ED are being used to attack political opponents. But the ED notice is not a big issue for us. We are not afraid of the ED notice. None of us have done anything wrong,’’ he said.
He also said that some BJP leaders were threatening him, saying that the government should not be allowed to continue. BJP leaders had a list of 22 legislators of the Congress and the NCP with them “who would be made to resign under the pressure of the Central investigating agencies,’’ he added.
Raut further stated, “Some BJP leaders have been contacting me for the last one year, saying they have made all the arrangements to destabilise the Maharashtra government. They have been pressuring and threatening me not to support the government. You can send a notice or arrest us but this government will not fall,’’ he opined.
Raut said it had not been decided yet whether Varsha Raut would go for questioning tomorrow.
Speaking on the ED notice, Raut said, “The ED has been corresponding with us for the last one-and-a-half months. They wanted some information. We have given all the information in this regard. How does the BJP know about the notice sent by the ED? Has the ED joined hands with the BJP? Perhaps the notice was stuck at the BJP’s office,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray said, “The ED move is politically motivated. We are not scared. The Maha Vikas Aghadi government is stable.’’
Home Minister Anil Deshmukh noted that the use of ED for “political purposes” had never happened in Maharashtra.
