MUMBAI: Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday alleged that the BJP-led Centre is troubling Sena leaders and their family members and friends by using central agencies.
Briefing media persons here, Raut said, "Central agencies are troubling our party leaders. Pressure is being created on our leaders using these agencies. Some BJP leaders are saying that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will fall on March 10. All these rumours started after I wrote to Venkaiah Naidu."
Raut further alleged that during the previous Devendra Fadnavis government, there was the Rs 25,000 crore job recruitment scam that has to be probed.
Raut also called BJP leader Kirit Somaiya an "agent of the ED. “Kirit Somaiya is the mastermind in PMC bank scam. Somaiya and his son should be arrested in connection with the case. To whom does Nikon Infra Construction company belong? PMC case accused Rakesh Wadhwan and Somaiya's son are partners in this company," alleged Raut.
The Sena leader further said CM Uddhav Thackeray should initiate a probe into the case by the Economic Offense Wing (EOW).
Somaiya goes to the ED office in Mumbai and eats Kichadi and conspires against the Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders, Raut said.
Raut attacked BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar too alleging that in his daughter's wedding, a Rs 9 crore carpet was used. “Why is ED not probing it?" he asked.
"I called Union Home Minister Amit Shah and told him that he can target me, but not my family. If they want to fight with us, they can do that but our families should not be involved,” Raut said, adding that he is Balasaheb Thackeray’s Sainik and not afraid of ED and other central agencies.
Raut also alleged that some ED officers through their agents collected Rs 200 crore from the developers in Mumbai. “I have all the proof and soon, will put them before the people. The ED officers are forcing people to give statements against me. The central agencies should work in a fair manner, and not as puppets in the hand of the BJP leaders,” Raut said.
Raut alleged BJP leader Mohit Kamboj calling him a front-man and blue-eyed boy of former chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnvis. “Mohit Kamboj bought the Rs 1200 crore-worth land at Patra Chawl project by paying only Rs 100 crore. The EOW should carry out the inquiry in these transactions.”
Meanwhile, BJP leader Prasad Lad refuted all the charges made by Sanjay Raut saying that he has lost his mental balance. Lad's party colleague Mohit Kamboj said that he would file a defamation suit against Raut. Sudhir Mungantiwar also refuted allegations of his daughter's wedding expenses. “Everything is in public. I have paid the tax and even Uddhav Thackeray had attended my daughter's wedding ceremony,” Mungantiwar said.