Mr.Sanjay Raut was quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for about 10 hours on Friday in connection with a money-laundering probe.
Mumbai: Days after the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) collapsed following the rebellion of Shiv Sena leaders, the party’s national spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Saturday claimed that he was “given the offer” to go to Guwahati and join Eknath Shinde and other rebel MLAs.
However, Mr. Raut said he declined the offer as he follows the Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
The rebel MLAs staged their rebellion against the MVA government from Assam’s Guwahati. Following this, Shiv SUddhav Thackeray resigned from the chief minister’s post and then Eknath Shinde took over as the Maharashtra Chief Minister.
The new government has been asked to prove its majority in the State Assembly on Monday.
While interacting with the media, the Shiv Sena leader said, “I also got an offer for Guwahati but I follow Balasaheb Thackeray and so I didn’t go there. When the truth is on your side, why fear?”
Mr. Raut further said, “Fadnavis won’t get CM’s seat from Central. Deputy CM’s word from my mouth did not suit him but it was their internal matter I won’t speak on this.”
“BJP wants to destroy Shiv Sena from Mumbai and Maharashtra. But it did not happen,” he added.
Talking about the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, the Shiv Sena leader said, “As a responsible citizen and MP, it’s my duty to appear if an investigative agency (ED) summons me. The problem is with timing- amid Maharashtra political crisis. But they had doubts. Their officials behaved well with me,” Mr. Raut said, adding that he them that he can come again if need be.
Mr. Raut was quizzed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for about 10 hours on Friday in connection with a money-laundering probe.
He is being probed in connection with the re-development of Mumbai’s Patra Chawl.
Sanjay Raut appeared before the probe agency around 11.30 am on Friday and left around 9.30 pm. The Shiv Sena leader, while leaving the ED office, said he would cooperate with the central agency.
He appeared before the central agency on Friday after it issued the second summons in the case to appear before July 1, after the leader failed to appear in his first summon on Monday due to the then political turmoil in Maharashtra.
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