Those who do not surrender are being framed, says Uddhav Thackeray; meets Raut's family at his residence
Thackeray's remark comes amid the arrest of his close aide Sanjay Raut by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to a slum redevelopment scam.
FollowFormer Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray spoke out strongly in support of his party's MP Sanjay Raut, who the Enforcement Directorate arrested on Monday. Thackeray met Raut's mother, his wife Varsha Raut, and other family members at his residence in Mumbai's Bhandup.
The Sena chief said that those who do not surrender are being framed in some way.
During the press conference, Thackeray said, "Politics, as Gadkari stated, is becoming disgusting. The country is heading toward dictatorship. What Nadda said is indicative of the same thing."
The former CM also said, "There is a vendetta politics where we must wipe out everybody who talks against us. I'm proud of Sanjay Raut. The movie Pushpa has a dialogue, "Jhukega nahi". Sanjay Raut, however, is the genuine Shiv Sainik who would not bend. Today, the people who formerly declared they wouldn't bend are all on that side. That is not the path shown by Balasaheb. Raut really is a Shiv Sainik."
Thackeray's remark comes amid the arrest of his close aide Sanjay Raut by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case related to a slum redevelopment scam. Raut was arrested last night at his home after a nine-hour interrogation by the central investigation agency.
The Enforcement Director's investigation is centered on alleged financial irregularities in Patra 'chawl' redevelopment and related financial transactions involving his wife Varsha Raut and other associates.
The ED had provisionally attached assets worth over Rs 11.15 crore belonging to Raut's wife and two other associates in April of this year.
Sanjay Raut's assistant Pravin M. Raut, a former director of Guru Ashish Construction Pvt Ltd, is the land owner in Palghar, Saphale, and Padgha (in Thane district).
These assets include a flat in Mumbai's Dadar suburb owned by Varsha Raut and eight plots at Kihim beach in Alibaug jointly by Varsha Raut and Swapna Patkar, wife of Sujit Patkar, a 'close associate' of Sanjay Raut, according to the ED.
Also Read:Â Patra Chawl case: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut sent to ED custody till August 4
Also Read:Â Midnight arrest of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in Patra 'chawl' scam
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