MUMBAI: Around three-and-a-half months after getting bail on Wednesday in a money laundering case, Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut praised Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, saying he would go and meet him.
Raut said while in jail, he read newspapers and came to know about some decisions taken by Fadnavis. He spoke about how the BJP leader has revived the powers of Maharashtra Housing and Area Development officers.
“If someone is doing good work, we have to appreciate it. Those in the high offices of the prime minister, chief minister and ministers do not belong to any party. They are accountable to the people. I will meet Devendra Fadnavis,” Raut said.
He added that he holds no ill-will against anyone, including the central agencies. “I will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and appraise them about the issues that I faced in jail. As a citizen and a Rajya Sabha member, I am entitled to meet anyone,” he said.
The Sena leader said there is too much vendetta politics in India. “When the British ruled India for 150 years, they did not ill-treat their enemy. But the atmosphere in our country has changed,” Raut said.
When asked if he would meet Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Raut said he would prefer to meet Fadnavis because he was “running the government” while “the others are there to fill the space.”
Talking about his jail term, Raut said he is grateful to Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar who helped his family. “It is not easy to spend time in jail. I was not feeling well there. Even now I am unwell, but will continue my work,” Raut said.