‘Only crime Sanjay Raut committed…’: Congress, NCP leaders backs Shiv Sena MP amid ED raids

New Delhi: The Congress and the NCP leaders extended support to Shiv Sena MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut who was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) on late Sunday night, after hours-long raid at its Mumbai residence,  in the Patra Chawl land scam. The opposition leaders condemned the probe agency's action against him and accused the BJP of pursuing "politics of intimidation".

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who recently stirred up a controversy by calling President Droupadi Murmu ‘Rashtrapatni’, extended his support to Sanjay Raut and called him a "man of conviction and courage".

"The only crime Sanjay Raut has committed is that he has not been cowered down by the politics of intimidation of the BJP party. He is a man of conviction and courage. We are with Sanjay Raut," Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said in a tweet.

The only crime #SanjayRaut has committed that he has not been cowered down by the politics of intimidation of the BJP party. He is a man of conviction and courage. We are with Sanjay Raut. — Adhir Chowdhury (@adhirrcinc) August 1, 2022

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor also came to Shiv Sena MP’s aide and said his party is concerned about the misuse of central agencies to selectively target the opposition leaders. "Government institutions are not there to serve political purpose," Mr Tharoor asserted. 

NCP state spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said that ED is trying to pressurise and humiliate MVA leaders by raking up false charges. “The ED raids are part of the BJP’s strategy to pressurise and humiliate MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) leaders in the state by raking up false charges. Similarly, at the national level too, they have targetted Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi who were questioned for hours. The MVA in the state is united and we are fully behind Sanjay Raut,” he said. 

Additionally, Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe questioned ED and asked why the agency did not file a chargesheet if they have the “so-called documents”.

“The ED, CBI and Income Tax are no longer functioning as investigating agencies. They have become a political tool to harass and humiliate Opposition leaders. Today’s ED raids are part of this BJP strategy to target its rivals. I don’t understand when they (ED) have so-called documents, why don’t they file a chargesheet instead of repeatedly summoning an individual in the name of conducting an inquiry. The BJP’s main aim is to send out the message that either those who are being raided should join their party or go to jail,” he said. 

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge also alleged that the action was taken against Mr Raut because the BJP wants to get rid of the opposition. "The BJP wants an opposition-mukt Parliament, that's why the action against Sanjay Raut," said Kharge. "Sanjay Raut runs a party and a newspaper and if from his home ₹ 11 lakh have been found then ED has made a case against him on the basis of it, he is being harassed," he added.