RAUT: CENTRAL AGENCIES ARE TARGETING MVA LEADERS

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said the deliberate targeting of leaders in the ruling MVA alliance in Maharashtra by central agencies was harmful for the country’s federal structure.

Raut was responding to a query by reporters on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summoning former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in a money laundering case. Deshmukh was asked to depose before the investigating officer at the ED’s office in Mumbai on Saturday in the money laundering case related to an alleged multi-crore bribery-cumextortion racket, that led to his resignation from the post of home minister in April. However, the NCP leader, whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra, sought a fresh date for appearance before the agency.

Talking to reporters, Raut also said Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik’s letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray highlighted that the legislator was being unnecessarily harassed by the ED. He said if there are complaints, the state’s Economic Offences Wing (EoW) or the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) can investigate them. “But, central agencies are brought in under pressure to deliberately target...this is out of frustration over the inability to form government here,” Raut alleged, and said “this is harmful for the federal structure”.

Raut said the issue of reservation is for ensuring social equality. “Please don’t politicise a social issue. Whether you are in government or opposition, a responsible leader should strive to resolve the issue which the MVA leaders are trying.”