Central agencies and prisons in the country have been privatised: Shiv Sena

The statement comes in the backdrop of the arrest of former Maharashtra minister Anil Deshmukh and the action by the central agencies against leaders from the state’s ruling coalition

In the backdrop of the recent arrest of former state home minister Anil Deshmukh and the action by the central agencies against leaders from the ruling parties in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena has taken potshots at the Central government and stated that the central agencies and prisons in the country have been “privatised” as the opponents are being imprisoned on “trumped up charges”.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, in his weekly column ‘Rokthok’ in party mouthpiece Saamana, said that the central agencies are being effectively misused to hassle the opponents. (HT FILE PHOTO)

Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut, in his weekly column ‘Rokthok’ in party mouthpiece Saamana, taunted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and stated that everyday, instead of taking up some major issues that the nation is facing, it just talks of putting its opponents in prison. He said that the central agencies are being “effectively misused” to hassle the opponents.

Raut assailed that BJP was displaying a “sick mentality” as it stood behind the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) which arrested actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan and his friends despite the fact that he did not possess any drugs. It also accused BJP of supporting the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for arresting Deshmukh without any concrete proof.

“The [Narendra] Modi government is anyway on a privatisation spree and the way central agencies such as ED, NCB and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) are working, it appears that even they have now been privatised. BJP claims everyday that it will send its opponents to prison. This raises the question on whether even prisons have become privatised? We have to bear [this] till 2024, as our country seems to be becoming like a prison,” he added.

Raut said that it looks like the central agencies, particularly NCB, is all set to destabilise the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) by putting the opponents in dock and cobbling up a majority for BJP.

He has called Deshmukh’s arrest by ED as illegal.

“A person who is accused of extortion, murder and corruption [former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh] levelled baseless charges against Deshmukh. Despite Singh claiming that he has no proof against Deshmukh, ED still arrested the leader, solely owing to BJP’s pressure,” said Raut.

Raut also said that despite the reduction in the excise duty on fuel, their prices continue to remain high, above ₹100 per litre. The Central government had last week announced reduction of excise duty on auto fuel, which was expected to bring down the prices that have now breached the ₹100-mark. However, Raut claimed that the prices were slashed after the drubbing BJP received in the recent bypolls.

“BJP has been praising Modi for cutting the duty on auto fuel but the fact remains that the prices are still high and are not coming below ₹100 per litre. It is good that Modi spent the first day of Diwali with the soldiers at the border. But he should have spent the second day with the poor, who are in a sorry state owing to the price rise, and understand their difficulties on how they are coping up,” said Raut.

Responding to Raut’s allegations, BJP said the Shiv Sena’s only job was to target BJP instead of governing Maharashtra.

“The Central government has cut the excise duty on fuel, but the state has not cut its value added tax (VAT), which many BJP-ruled states did. This would have given relief to the citizens but the state government did not do so,” said BJP legislator Ram Kadam. He also justified Deshmukh’s arrest. “The Shiv Sena has not studied Deshmukh’s case, as he is accused for money laundering. Singh’s allegations are just one aspect, as the former minister formed web of companies to launder money, and he has been arrested for that crime,” defended Kadam.