E-Paper
Day after ED attaches assets, Raut accuses BJP MP of misusing INS Vikrant fund
Talking to the reporters in Delhi, Raut said, “A campaign led by Kirit Somaiya in 2013-14 collected ₹ 57 crore from the public to turn INS Vikrant into a museum” and that this money was to be deposited with the Raj Bhavan.
A day after properties linked to Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut were attached by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the ₹1,034-crore Patra Chawl land scam case, Raut on Wednesday accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya of siphoning off ₹ 57 crore — crowd funded as a part of the campaign to save the INS Vikrant — and not submitting the funds with the state exchequer.
Talking to the reporters in Delhi, Raut said, “A campaign led by Kirit Somaiya in 2013-14 collected ₹ 57 crore from the public to turn INS Vikrant into a museum” and that this money was to be deposited with the Raj Bhavan. But according to a right to information (RTI) response received from Maharashtra’s Raj Bhavan, Raut said “this money was never deposited with them.”
Raut also demanded a probe by the Maharashtra government against Somaiya while also claiming that it’s a fit case to be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Income Tax (IT) and Enforcement Directorate (ED). “This is a matter of national security where he has taken money in the name of defence department. This is treason,” he said.
Dismissing the charges, Somaiya said that this was Raut’s attempt to “divert attention” .
“When a person is under pressure, he levels any kind of allegations. Today, he accused me of treason but does he have any document? I can understand his state of mind…,” he said in a reference to the ED attaching assets linked to Sanjay Raut in a money laundering case.
“To save INS Vikrant, Somaiya collected money from several parts of Mumbai, including Churchgate, Chembur, Navy Nagar. At many places, retired navy staff also contributed. In all, about ₹57 crore was collected. Somaiya had said the amount collected would be handed over to the Maharashtra governor at Raj Bhavan. A reply to an RTI query by Dhirendra Upadhyay showed that Raj Bhavan had not received such money,” Raut said.
Replying to the allegations, Somaiya said, “Earlier, he alleged that I collected ₹7,500 crore and gave it to Amit Shah, then he alleged that I collected ₹400 crore from Palghar. He has made numerous claims but hasn’t been able to give any document. Instead of waving a piece of paper at a press conference, he should give it to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray... I have not misused any political position for corruption.”
With agency inputs
