Mumbai, Nov 9 (IANS): In a scathing attack, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday alleged that whenever the ruling BJP at the Centre faces electoral defeat, the Central Bureau of Investigation, Enforcement Directorate and Election Commission of India step in to "help" it out.
Calling the CBI, ED and ECI as "parrots" of the Centre, Raut contended that they seem to become active in states going to polls where BJP confronts a debacle, or wherever the Opposition parties are in power.
"We have experienced it even in Maharashtra...The Opposition parties are being systematically targetted by the central probe agencies... The ECI took a decision in the case of the Shiv Sena (split) under pressure from the Central government," Raut said, speaking with mediapersons.
He added that though the Shiv Sena was founded by the late Balasaheb Thackeray and now led by his son and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray, after a couple of dozen MLAs switched sides in June 2022, the entire party was handed over to the breakaway group (led by CM Eknath Shinde).
"This proves the intent and the character of the ECI... A similar move is now underway with the Nationalist Congress Party founded by Sharad Pawar, with a splinter group led by Ajit Pawar breaking away (July 2023). What justice can we expect from such an ECI," asked Raut sharply.
Attacking the state government, the Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Spokesperson claimed that a virtual "gang-war" had erupted in the Maharashtra cabinet yesterday over the issues of reservation for Marathas with contradictory statements emanating from different ministers of the ruling alliance and over whom the CM has "no control" at all.
Ruling Shiv Sena Minister Shambhuraj Desai hit back at Raut, saying the word "gang-war" was laughable, and though the cabinet meeting went off very amicably, "deliberate misinformation is being spread around".
"Raut's informers are feeding him wrong information... someday, he will be in serious trouble because of this," warned Desai, adding that all the ministers came out in an atmosphere of camaraderie after the cabinet meeting.