Shiv Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Monday revealed that for the past one year, some senior BJP leaders have been indirectly forcing him to create disbalance in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. "Some senior leaders are meeting me continuously attempting to convince me not to continue supporting the MVA as they have made all preparations to bring it down. They even showed me a list of 22 NCP and Sena MLAs who will be slapped with cases, arrested and forced to quit the government," Raut contended.
He said any threat or bully by BJP using CBI or ED through notices or arrests will not succeed. They cannot even "harm a hair" of MVA government added Raut.
"This is a political war and we shall only fight it politically." Raut declared.
Raut was addressing a press conference after his wife had been sent a notice from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) - which he has denied - seeking her appearance on Dec. 29.
Varsha Raut has been summoned for questioning in the case, which involves an alleged loan fraud in the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank. She had skipped the two earlier summons on health grounds -- the last time she was asked to join the probe on December 11.
"Don't take 'panga' with me. I am the late Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainik. I will expose you all. I have a list of 120 BJP leaders (scams) which the ED can investigate for five years. They will have to take flights like Nirav Modi or Vijay Mallya to foreign countries," Raut warned. Adding that only those people who speak against the BJP those who were instrumental in forming the MVA government in Maharashtra are being targeted through ED notices, and now this harassment has been extended even to their family members.
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Meanwhile, a large number of Shiv Sena's women wing activists led by Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar staged a protest outside the Sena Bhavan (the party's headquarters) and raised anti-BJP slogans. Another group demonstrated outside ED and state BJP’s office
Simultaneously, the party's Vibhag Pramukhs (District Presidents) gathered for a meeting at the Sena Bhavan to discuss the situation arising out of the ED summons to Varsha Raut seeking her appearance on Tuesday.