Following Income Tax Department raids on premises of close aides of Shiv Sena leaders, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that central agencies are targeting select people from states like West Bengal and Maharashtra.
He said the raids are tactics to "pressurise and destabilise" the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra.
Briefing mediapersons, Raut said, "Why are central agencies targetting a selected few from states like West Bengal and Maharashtra. Do not they get anybody else from other states? It is a tactic to pressurise and destabilise MVA government."
He alleged an extortion syndicate is being run by a nexus of ED officials.
"Mumbai police will begin the investigation of criminal syndicate and extortion racket by a nexus of ED officials. Mark my words, some of these ED officers will go to jail too. Some ED officials are contesting elections on BJP tickets. ED has become ATM of BJP and I have given records of extortion by these officers to the Prime Minister. Nexus of ED officers are extorting contractors, developers and builders," said the Shiv Sena leader.
Income Tax Department conducted raids at the office and residence of close aides of Shiv Sena leaders and Maharashtra ministers Aaditya Thackeray and Anil Parab, informed sources said on Tuesday.
Earlier, the IT Dept had conducted raids at the offices and premises of various BMC contractors and Shiv Sena leaders. The search is underway at 20 premises in Mumbai and Pune, the sources said.
The Income Tax department had also carried out searches at the premises of Shiv Sena corporator and Standing Committee chairperson of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Yashwant Jadhav.
( With inputs from ANI )
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