Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday accused the BJP of conspiring to finish off regional outfits and establish a “dictatorship”, citing its president J.P. Nadda’s comment that family-run parties would perish.
Uddhav also attacked the BJP over the Enforcement Directorate’s arrest of Sena leader Sanjay Raut in a money-laundering case, extolling the Rajya Sabha MP as a “true Shiv Sainik” who did not succumb to pressure.
On Monday, a special court sent Raut to ED custody till August 4, rejecting a plea for eight days’ remand. The agency alleged the MP and his family had received “proceeds of crime” worth over Rs 1 crore.
“The BJP is conspiring to finish off regional parties. The mask is off,” said Uddhav, recently ousted as Maharashtra chief minister following a Sena revolt, widely believed to have been engineered by the BJP.
“I had thanked (governor Bhagat Singh) Koshiyari (saying): ‘You inadvertently brought the dream of crushing the Marathi manoos (people) out before us’,” Uddhav added.
“Similarly, the BJP president has also revealed they do not want other parties to exist in the country and want dictatorship.”
Koshiyari had last week said that Mumbai would no longer remain India’s financial capital if Gujaratis and Rajasthanis left the metropolis. He later said he was merely praising Gujaratis and Rajasthanis.
Nadda had last week said that only an ideology-driven party like the BJP would survive while others, ruled by families, would perish.
Former chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray meets Raut’s mother in Mumbai on Monday. PTI picture
“This (Nadda’s statement) is very dangerous and serious. His comments indicate taking the country towards dictatorship and autocracy,” Uddhav said.
He warned that time changes, and when it does, “the BJP and Naddaji must think what will happen to them”.
Referring to Raut’s arrest, he said: “I am proud of Sanjay Raut. What crime has he committed? He is a journalist; a Shiv Sainik is fearless and speaks (about) what he does not approve of.”
Uddhav said Raut could have switched sides but had asserted that he would “die but not surrender”.
“Those who switched sides have gone for a bath in the hamam and (as long as) the foam of power is over their body, they can criticise us. But they will realise the situation (in future),” he added.
Rahul Gandhi too expressed support for Raut, tweeting in Hindi: “The message from the ‘king’ is clear: ‘Anyone who speaks against me will suffer’. Efforts are on to break the morale of opponents and silence the voice of the truth by misusing government agencies.
“But the dictator should listen — in the end, ‘truth’ will win and arrogance will lose.”
ED charges
At Raut’s court hearing, the ED, represented by special public prosecutor Hiten Venegaonkar, aired several charges.
⚫ The ED said that various permissions and approvals for the redevelopment of the Patra chawl tenement in suburban Goregaon, with additional FSIs (floor space index), were obtained by Guru Ashish Constructions, one of whose directors, Pravin Raut, had been arrested previously and chargesheeted in the case.
It said Pravin acted as proxy for Raut, and that the permissions and clearances had generated Rs 1,039.79 crore as proceeds of crime (POC) between 2010 and 2014. It said the investigation had so far “established the trail of POC of Rs 1.06 crore to Sanjay Raut and his family”.
⚫ The ED said Raut had spent a large sum buying land parcels at Kihim near the coastal town of Alibaug in Raigad district, sometimes by threatening the landowners.
The cash component had been sourced from Pravin, the ED said, adding that Pravin had spent from the POC on domestic and foreign tours undertaken by Raut’s family. It said Raut had received Rs 2 lakh in cash per month from Pravin between 2010 and 2014.
⚫ The ED said Raut had threatened witnesses who had deposed before the agency.
⚫ It said some documents and Rs 11.50 lakh in cash had been seized during searches at Raut’s premises in Dadar and suburban Bhandup on Sunday.
⚫ The ED said Raut had failed to answer summons, issued on July 20 and 27, asking him to join the investigation.
⚫ During this period, it said, Raut had threatened a key female witness asking her not to name him before the ED and to state that her previous statements had been made under threat and pressure.
Failure to do so may “result in her rape and murder”, she was told, according to the ED.
Senior advocate Ashok Mundargi, appearing for Raut, said all the allegations were “vague” and were in the nature of “may be and might be”.
He said Raut had been unable to answer the summons because the period July 20 to 27 had witnessed developments related to certain elections, including that of the President, and the MP had a role “to play for a political party”.
Raut had informed the ED about his inability to join the probe and therefore the allegation of non-cooperation should be taken “with a pinch of salt”, Mundargi said.
The court, granting three days’ remand, said the trail of money in the bank account of Raut’s wife could be investigated by obtaining bank statements.
