ED, CBI should not involve themselves in toppling govts: Sanjay Raut

Sanjay Raut. File Pic

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) should not involve themselves in toppling governments, and alleged that those who played a key role in the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra were being targeted.

Amid speculation in the state political circles over differences in the MVA government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance, Raut said there was no threat to the dispensation despite the BJP's attempts to weaken it.

Also Read: Keen to hold elections for Speaker, couldn't because of pandemic: Thackeray replies to Koshyari's letter

Sena's Rajya Sabha member also expressed confidence that MVA will win the election to the state Legislative Assembly Speaker's post even if the opposition party was trying to create suspicion and uncertainty over the fate of the government.

He was talking to reporters in New Delhi.

When asked about of the ED's action of attaching a sugar mill in Maharashtra allegedly linked to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Raut said people who played important role in the MVA formation are being targeted.

"Threats are being issued that more such actions will be seen. This kind of politics is not good. Lakhs of livelihoods are dependent on sugar mills. Use of ED and CBI are attacks from behind. One has to fight face-to-face. ED and CBI should not involve themselves in toppling of governments," he said.

Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sakhar Karkhana, located at Chimangaon-Koregaon in Satara district, was attached in connection with the alleged Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam, the Enforcement Directorate had said.

Raut said like NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray enjoy cordial relationship with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"There is no threat to the MVA even if BJP tries hard to weaken it," he said.

He said it was certain that the MVA would win the state Legislative Assembly Speaker's post.

"The BJP will do a favour on Maharashtra if they allow a unanimous election. There is no use of creating suspicion and uncertainty over the fate of the government. The Speaker's post will go to the Congress. The candidate will be decided by the Congress leadership," he added.

The Shiv Sena is of the view that the Speaker's election could have been avoided during the coronavirus pandemic. But the post became vacant after the incumbent speaker (Nana Patole) became the state Congress chief earlier this year, he said.

The monsoon session of the state legislature is scheduled to be held on July 5 and 6.

As per the state legislature convention, Speaker has always been elected unopposed.

Patole had quit as the speaker in February this year after he was appointed as the new president of the Maharashtra Congress unit. The budget session of the legislature was held without holding the election for speaker's post.

Earlier, state Revenue Minister and senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat had told reporters that the process for the election of speaker will be completed during the two-day monsoon session.

However, in a letter written to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Friday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray appeared non-committal on holding the election for the speaker's post during the session, saying that there was no "time-frame" for it.

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