Team News Riveting
Mumbai, June 27
Facing criticism for allegedly complicating the political crisis in Maharashtra with his derogatory and unwanted comments, Shiv Sena spokesperson and Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut would now counter the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials.
The economic intelligence wing has summoned Raut on Tuesday for questioning in a money laundering probe linked to the re-development of a Mumbai ‘chawl’. He has been asked to depose before the federal agency at its office in south Mumbai on June 28 at 11 am. The agency has asked him to record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The ED has provisionally attached assets worth more than Rs 11.15 crore of Raut’s wife Varsha Raut and two of his associates in April.
Known to be a close confidante of Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Raut is presently in a thick of controversy by passing objectionable comments on the rebels MLAs led by Eknath Shinde, who are camping in Guwahati. Raut yesterday called the rebels as “living corpses”.
Instead of pacifying the rebels, Raut has been reportedly provoking and threatening the MLAs. The resentment of rebels has shifted to Raut rather than Thackeray even as the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by Shiv Sena is on the verge of collapse following the revolt of 40 party MLAs. Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) are the other partners in the coalition government.
The Independent MLAs have already withdrawn their support from the MVA government and sided with the Shinde camp.
Meanwhile, in a relief to rebel Shiv Sena legislators, the Supreme Court Monday kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings before the Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly till July 12. The apex court has sought responses to pleas by rebel MLAs questioning the legality of notices seeking their disqualification.
