Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who is currently in ED custody in connection with the alleged Patra Chawl scam, thanked opposition parties for supporting him during the “political witch-hunt”, saying “toughest times show you who your reliable allies are.”
Sena MP and spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi shared a letter signed by Raut on Friday.
In the letter, the Sena leader thanked leaders of all opposition parties including the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Trinamool Congress (TMC), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Communist Party of India (CPI) and CPI (Marxist) for expressing solidarity with him.
“The toughest times show you who your reliable allies are,” Raut said in the letter.
“I am thankful for the overwhelming support given to me during the political witch-hunt and motivated attack directed against me by the central government through central agencies. My fight will continue for what is right. Neither will I bow down to pressure nor will it break my resolve to see this fight through,” Raut added.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials raided Raut’s residence in Mumbai on Sunday (July 31) in a case related to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of Patra Chawl, a row tenement in suburban Goregaon.
After detaining and questioning him for several hours, the ED officials arrested him in the early hours on Monday (August 1) and produced him before a special sessions court which directed to send him to the ED’s custody till Thursday (August 4), which has now been extended till August 8.
On Friday (August 5), ED summoned Raut’s wife, Varsha Raut, for investigations in connection with the Patra Chawl case. The ED has called Varsha Raut to appear before it on Saturday (August 6).
