The Shiv Sena on Monday, December 28, put up banner outside the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office addressing it as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state office.
The incident comes a day after the ED summoned Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha for questioning in connection with the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank money laundering case. Varsha Raut was summoned on December 29 for the third time after she failed to comply with the two summons sent earlier on grounds of illness.
The police officials had reached the spot while Shiv Sena workers were putting up the banner at the ED's office and apparently tried to stop him. However, Shiv Sainiks did not stop nor allowed the police to remove the banner. He said, “If you want, you can lodge a complaint with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).”
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has made serious allegations against ED and BJP at a press conference saying that the party is using central agencies like the CBI, Income Tax Department and the ED to target leaders of non-BJP ruled states to silence or pressurize everyone who speaks against the ruling party.
“The ED has been corresponding with us for the last one and a half months. All the documents they need are being provided from time to time. None of these letters mention the BJP leaders who are naming the PMC scam, the HDIL case. BJP leaders are jumping like monkeys,” said Raut. He also alleged that ED and BJP leaders have joined hands.
Reacting to the summons, Sanjay Raut said that he was “not scared of anyone”. “Targeting women of a household is an act of cowardice. We are not scared of anyone and will respond accordingly. ED needed some papers and we have submitted them in time,” Raut told media.
The Sena spokesperson also listed the names of other state leaders, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who were sent notices by the agency.
Eknath Khadse, who changed camp from the BJP to NCP, has also been summoned by the ED for questioning on December 30 in connection with a money laundering case.
“In last one year, Sharad Pawar, Eknath Khadse and Pratap Sarnaik got notices and now you all are discussing my name. All these people are crucial for government formation in Maharashtra,” he said.
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