Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday launched an all-out attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that it is trying to destabilize the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra. Addressing a press conference at Shiv Sena Bhawan in the Dadar area of Mumbai, Raut said, “I was approached by some BJP leaders, they told me either surrender before them or they will topple the government.”
Without naming anyone, the Shiv Sena leader said, “Around 20 days ago, some senior BJP leaders met me thrice. He asked me to help him topple the government. Either we will bring President’s rule or we will bring some MLAs on our side. He asked for my help.” Raut said the alliance would not succumb to such pressure tactics. The ruling alliance in Maharashtra includes Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, and Congress.
‘BJP leaders approached to switch sides’
The Shiv Sena leader claimed that some BJP leaders had approached him to switch sides and warned that he would have to pay a price for not doing so. He said, “I was told that if I do not help, the central agencies will fix me and I will regret my decision later. They even told me that Sharad Pawar’s family is facing raids by the central agency.” “Soon thereafter, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) started targeting people close to me,” Raut said.
‘Conspiracy to topple the government in Maharashtra, Bengal and Jharkhand’
He said, “Central agencies are being used to topple the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, but if you think we will bow down then it is not possible. We have learned this from late Balasaheb Thackeray.” Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, claimed that they (ED) were targeting the family members of coalition leaders to defame them. He claimed that there is a conspiracy going on to topple the government in Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Jharkhand.
He claimed that Neil Somaiya, son of former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, is a business associate of Rakesh Wadhawan, an accused in the PMC Bank scam case. He said that he would hand over “all documents” to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray for appropriate action in this regard. Responding to Raut’s allegations, BJP leader and former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that he would reply at an appropriate time.
