Mistake to take Anil Deshmukh's resignation: Sanjay Raut

Besides Deshmukh and Malik, at least half a dozen other leaders from Sena-NCP are under the scanner of various central agencies with probes progressing against them

At a time when the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi dispensation is facing political attacks from the opposition BJP and its leaders constantly under the eyes of central agencies, Shiv Sena chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said that it was a “mistake” to take the resignation of Anil Deshmukh.

Despite many leaders of the ruling Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress being questioned or booked by central agencies like CBI, ED, and IT among others, the veteran journalist-politician said that they are not scared.

It may be mentioned, Deshmukh, a senior NCP leader had to resign as state home minister in the wake of charges of corruption, in April last year.

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar then preferred that Deshmukh resign and face the probe and he is currently in jail in a money laundering case being investigated by ED.

However, this February, when Nawab Malik was booked in a case involving money laundering vis-a-vis property transactions with people linked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, the MVA government ruled out his resignation, but now the charge of his portfolios have been given to other ministers. “We have seen the kind of evidence available against Deshmukh… His resignation was taken in haste and it was a mistake. He was targeted and the central probe agencies like CBI and ED were let loose against him,” Raut said in Nagpur.

However, Raut reiterated that there is no question of resignation of Malik.

“We have always said that the maximum activities of the central agencies are in Maharashtra and West Bengal. The ED has conducted over 23,000 raids in the past 7 years,” he said, and accused the BJP of trying to topple the MVA government.

The Rajya Sabha member also pointed out that he had submitted evidence of around 100 cases to the prime minister Narendra Modi, but so far he has not seen any action from the ED.

“Even I have been threatened with ED action… I am not scared and shall not be pressured by them. Several of our leaders are being harassed similarly by the Central agencies, but we shall continue our fight against them,” Raut said.

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