The Shiv Sena and the BJP have been at loggerheads in Maharashtra over corruption accusations.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday hit back at BJP leader and Union Minister Narayan Rane for "threatening" the Thackeray family and the Maharashtra government. In a stern warning to Mr Rane, the Sena MP asked him to "stop giving threats" and added a subtle counterthreat of exposing the "system of extortion" in Mumbai.
"You might be a Union Minister but this is Maharashtra. Don't forget this. We are your 'baap (father)', you very well know what that means," Mr Raut said in Mumbai.
Mr Rane had on Friday said he has "learnt" that an Enforcement Directorate notice is ready for "four persons" in 'Matoshree', the private residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in suburban Bandra.
"Narayan Rane is threatening us that he has our horoscope...We too have your horoscope," the Sena MP said.
Mr Raut then also trained his guns at controversial BJP MP Kirit Somaiya who has recently been making sensational allegations against Shiv Sena leaders and the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state. The BJP-Sena slugfest has intensified recently with Mr Raut and Mr Somaiya both claiming to have evidence of corruption and extortion against each other's parties.
"You (Kirit Somaiya) give documents of scam to central agencies, I'll give yours. Don't threaten, we won't be scared," Mr Raut said.
Mr Somaiya had said he would submit documents to probe agencies to prove his allegations against Sena top brass. Mr Raut, in turn, has also claimed to be in possession of documents proving that the BJP MP was involved in corruption amounting to over Rs 300 crore and that he even used Home Minister Amit Shah's name for extortion.
Mr Raut had on Thursday claimed that Mr Somaiya extorted over Rs 300 crore through a slum rehabilitation project at Peru Baug in Powai. Today, he has pointed to another project in Palghar.
"Work on his Rs 260 cr worth project is underway in Palghar. It's in his son's name, his wife is the director. Must probe how did he get the money," the Sena MP said.
Mr Raut had earlier in the day tweeted three questions for the BJP MP related to the Palghar accusation. He also tagged the Prime Minister's Office in the tweet.
"Mr @KiritSomaiya
Since u knw mch abt others, I hope U wl also hv answrs 2 ths questns
1.Who hs investd 260 Cr in Neerav Developers@ Vevoor,Palghar?
2.Are Neil&Medha Somaiya Dirctors on NikonGreenVille Project?
3.Whch Jt Dir of
@dir_ed
hs Benami invstmnt in ths project?
@PMOIndia," Mr Raut said.
The Sena MP vowed to end the "criminal syndicate prevalent in Maharashtra" by releasing information on one such case every day. "We won't shy away from exposing the system of extortion that has begun in Mumbai," he said.
Sanjay Raut has accused the ruling BJP at the centre of using investigating agencies to try and topple the Maharashtra government and target its leaders and their families, including Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. He had recently written a letter to the Vice President accusing the Centre of using probe agencies to unfairly harass and intimidate people close to him. He had said that the central agencies were trying to forcefully extract a false confession against him from people he had any business dealings with.
Mr Somaiya has also levelled charges of Benami property against the Thackerays. One of them was about Benami property in Alibaug.
Mr Raut had dared Mr Somaiya to prove the charges and said an outing could be arranged to the Benami properties in Alibaug to check the facts.
Attacking Mr Somaiya using coarse language, Mr Raut had alleged that Neil Somaiya, son of Kirit Somaiya, had links Rakesh Wadhwan, an accused in the PMC bank fraud.
Mr Raut said he will submit all the papers in this connection to Chief Minister Thackeray for appropriate action.
Mr Raut had also demanded the arrest of Somaiya father-son in the PMC case.
Responding to the charge, Kirit Somaiya had said, "In 2017 Raut, and Saamana (Marathi daily and Sena mouthpiece) had tried to defame his wife Medha Somaiya in a similar manner by naming a building construction company. Now he has named my son Neil Somaiya. The MVA government leaders have so far filed 10 cases against me and three more are on the way," he said.