The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has summoned the wife of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, Varsha, on December 29 for questioning in connection with the PMC Bank scam. The officials had said that Varsha Raut has been asked to appear before the federal agency in Mumbai. This is the third summons issued to her after she skipped the earlier two on health grounds, they said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik on Monday lashed out at the Centre for using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for their "political gains". He said that whoever speaks against the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) or Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government is being summoned by the anti-corruption agency.
"Many politicians have been sent notices. The news comes out before sending notices. However, nothing has happened to all those who have got these notices. They are doing this only to create fear in the minds of people. This is being done only to take some sort of revenge. People in Maharashtra won't be sacred because of such actions," Malik added.
Besides, Maharashtra Environment and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray also slammed the Centre. "The ED move is politically motivated. We are not scared. The MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) government is stable," he said.
Moreover, Sanjay Raut on Monday alleged Central agencies were being used to "destabilise" the Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra and claimed BJP leaders had been in touch with him for over a year to effect this plan.
He alleged that Central agencies were being used as "weapons" against family members of (BJP's) political opponents who cannot be won over.
Raut said BJP leaders had a list of 22 MLAs of the Congress and the NCP with them "who will be made to resign under the pressure of the Central investigating agencies".
"Some BJP leaders have been contacting me since the last one year, saying they have made all the arrangements to destabilise the Maharashtra government. They have been pressurising and threatening me not to support the government. They told me that they have a list of 22 MLAs of Congress and NCP who will be forced to resign under the pressure of Central investigating agencies," Raut said.
