Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut blasted the Maharashtra administration on Thursday, comparing the state to the underworld that formerly flourished in Mumbai, news agency PTI reported.
Criminals and corrupt people are being protected, and the "chief minister and deputy chief minister are running their gangs," said Raut, a close adviser to former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
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“This (Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis dispensation) is not a government. The state is being run like the underworld that operated from pockets of Thane and Mumbai. The chief minister and deputy chief minister are running their gangs,” Raut was quoted by PTI in its report.
Regarding the Supreme Court's refusal to hear a case by 14 political parties claiming arbitrary use of Central agencies against opponents on Thursday, Raut said the manner the Bharatiya Janata Party is celebrating reveals their satisfaction.
“The ED (Enforcement Directorate) and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) are being misused against political opponents. Why is no action being taken against those who have been cleansed in the BJP washing machine,” he was quoted by PTI in its report.
Opponents of the BJP frequently use the "washing machine" analogy to argue that politicians under investigation by authorities receive a respite or are cleared after joining the saffron party.
Earlier on April 3, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come forth and reveal his academic qualifications, and questioned why he was hiding them.
The Rajya Sabha member suggested that the Prime Minister's degree be displayed at the Parliament building's entrance. Let the parliamentarians and the people know about his educational credentials, he urged.
(With Inputs From PTI)