BJP using Enforcement Directorate to destabilise MVA govt., claims Sanjay Raut

It is a political move, will be dealt politically, says Shiv Sena

A banner put up at the Enforcement Directorate office by Shiv Sena workers on Monday, proclaiming it to be a Bharatiya Janata Party office, a day after summons were issued to wife of Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha MP.

A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoned Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut’s wife, the party on Monday said it was part of a political move to destabilise the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. This will be dealt politically, the party added.

Addressing a press conference at Sena Bhavan in central Mumbai, Mr. Raut said, “Leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party were contacting me ever since the formation of the coalition government. I was told they would bring down the State government at any cost. They were trying to convince me to help topple this government and had even shown me a list of 22 MLAs, who are on ED’s radar and would be pressurised to resign.” He however, did not mention any names.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut

Mr. Raut’s wife Varsha has been summoned by the ED on December 29 in connection with an alleged money laundering case at the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative Bank. She had previously skipped two summons on health grounds.

On Monday afternoon, Sena workers hanged a banner outside the ED office in Mumbai renaming it as BJP headquarters.

Mr. Raut, who played a pivotal role in the formation of MVA government in Maharashtra by being the bridge between his party and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), also hinted that, “Some BJP leaders have been visiting ED office in Mumbai and taken away some papers. When it became clear to them that this government is not going to fall, frustrated leaders started using central agencies like ED, CBI and IT.” He cited the example of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, and BJP-turned-NCP leader Eknath Khadse who are being targeted by the ED.

“Since the BJP cannot face us directly, cowardly tactics are being used to target our families. The notice sent to my wife is about a 10-year-old loan that she had taken to buy a flat which is even mentioned in my election affidavit,” he said. The BJP’s hope of destabilising the government will be futile as it cannot even ‘harm a hair’ of the State government.

Earlier in the day, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh told reporters in Nagpur that whoever speaks against policies or leaders of the BJP is facing action from Central agencies. He said the ED’s use for “political purposes” had never happened in Maharashtra.

Yuva Sena chief and Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray said, “The ED move is politically motivated. We are not scared. Our government is stable.”

Allies, NCP and Congress slammed the ED action saying the notice has been served for political gains. “Many politicians have received notices and all of them are anti-BJP. This is nothing but to create panic among the people and stop them from speaking against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” said NCP Mumbai unit chief and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik.

Another senior NCP leader Praful Patel told reporters that several people are now getting notices from the ED. “....The reason (behind getting such notices) may be political or may be something else...Whatever it may be, the facts will stand out. I don’t want to derive any other meaning out of this action,” he said. Opposition BJP called it a ‘drama’ by Sena and Mr. Raut. “If he has done no wrong then what is wrong in visiting ED office and submitting documents? He can always approach the court if he thinks ED’s action is unconstitutional. Why is he defaming a reputed agency?” asked BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye.

(With PTI inputs)