Sanjay Raut Meets Uddhav Thackeray Day after Release From Jail In Mumbai

A day after his release from jail, Rajya Sabha member and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday reached Mr Thackeray's private residence in Mumbai and met the former chief minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray.

Speaking to the media outside his residence after meeting Mr Raut, the Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that Mr Raut's aggression will be the same as it was before.

"We are really happy to have Sanjay back. He is not only a leader or an MP of the party, but he is my special friend, and his return will boost the voice of our party," said Thackeray.

Mr Thackeray even compared Mr Raut's aggression in politics with "Cannon", and said that a cannon is always a cannon. "Mr Raut was silent for some time, but now he has come out and he is going to roar again," said Thackeray.

Mr Raut was arrested by the enforcement directorate (ED) on August 1 in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the redevelopment of the Patra Chawl in suburban Goregaon in Mumbai.

On June 28 this year, he was summoned by the ED in connection to the prevention of the money laundering case pertaining to the Rs1034 crore Patra Chawl land scam.

Mr Raut was released by a special court in Mumbai on bail on Wednesday, and his release is considered a relief for the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance before the municipal elections.

Commenting on Mr Raut's release from jail, the Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the court's order has proved that the Central government was misusing the agencies against the opposition.

"This is very clear that the government agencies like ED were being used to break the opposition parties and its leaders," he said, adding that the judiciary is the only hope of justice left in the country.

Sanjay Raut has shown us how to fight without letting his self-respect down, the Shiv Sena chief added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)