Central agencies being misused to topple Maharashtra govt, says Sanjay Raut

Mumbai, Feb 15 (PTI) Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday (February 15) said the BJP is using Central agencies to topple the Maharashtra government by targeting the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders and their family members.

Addressing a news conference at the Sena Bhavan in Mumbai's Dadar area, Raut said the Aghadi, comprising Sena, NCP and Congress, won't "bow" before such pressure tactics. Raut claimed he was contacted by some BJP leaders to shift allegiance and warned he would have to pay a price for not doing so. Soon after this, Enforcement Directorate (ED) started targeting people close to me, Raut said.

"Central agencies are being used to topple the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, but if you think we will budge, that is not possible. We have learnt this from late Balasaheb Thackeray," he said. They (ED) are targeting family members of the MVA leaders to defame them, Raut claimed.

There is a conspiracy afoot to topple governments in Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Jharkhand, the Rajya Sabha member said.

Raut claimed that Neil Somaiya, son of former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya, is a business partner of Rakesh Wadhwan, an accused in the PMC bank fraud. He said he will submit all the papers in this connection to Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for appropriate action.

Responding to Raut's allegations, BJP leader and former CM Devendra Fadnavis he will respond at an appropriate time.