Senior Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday lashed out at the Central government and the Enforcement Directorate for attaching assets of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar worth Rs 65.75 crore in a money laundering case and said even if you want to deploy the Army, it does not matter for it would not affect the morale of the Maharashtra government.
Speaking to ANI, Raut said, "Everyone knows about the matter that is going on in Maharashtra, and why the central investigating agencies ED and CBI are active there? People know what is the intention behind it. But, if anyone feels that by doing this the morale of the Maharashtra government will be broken or the government will fall, then they are confused. Nothing like this will happen. If you want, deploy army; it doesn't matter."
The Shiv Sena leader's reaction came a day after ED attached properties worth over Rs 65 crore, linked to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Raut refused to comment on Nana Patole letter to Uddhav Thackeray for a probe into the state-owned Maharashtra State Mining Corporation (MSMC).
"I am not aware of Nana Patole's letter. I am seeing through you what is written in the letter. If a letter has been written to the Chief Minister about any minister and that too about a Congress minister, then only Nana Patole ji will speak about it. It will not be right for me to speak about his party or the Chief Minister will speak. I'm not part of the government so I won't talk about it," he said.
When asked about when the speaker election will be held in Maharashtra, Raut said he cannot speak about the matter "because it is a three-party issue. Speaker's post is vacant. Elections could not be held for a few months due to COVID -19 pandemic. Today a decision is likely to be taken on this issue."
( With inputs from ANI )
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