MUMBAI: The Income Tax department on Thursday carried out a raid at the house of Rahul Kanal, a close aide of Shiv Sena minister Aaditya Thackeray, son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Sena accused the Centre of targeting opposition-ruled states.
Aaditya said IT raids are happening in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Persons close to another Sena leader, Anil Parab, were also subjected to search and seizure operations. “Central agencies have been misused. It happened in Bengal and Andhra. These agencies have become the propaganda machinery of BJP, but we will not bow down. Maharashtra will not bow down,” Aaditya said.
The IT raids are allegedly linked to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation — the richest civic body in the country. Aaditya said these raids are happening because BMC elections are due. “Such attacks on Maharashtra have happened in the past and are happening now,” he said.
ED extorting: Sanjay Raut
Sena leader Sanjay Raut alleged at a press conference that Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers and their agent Jitendra Nawlani extorted over Rs 100 crore from builders and corporate offices. He said these officers will soon be behind bars along with their agents.
“The ED is like an ATM for the BJP. Whenever they need money, they use it against developers and corporate offices,” Raut alleged, adding that the names of the four ED officers involved in extortion will be revealed soon.