Anil Parab. (File)Hours after the Supreme Court approved a CBI probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, Shiv Sena leader and Transport Minister Anil Parab on Wednesday accused the BJP of hatching a conspiracy to defame the Uddhav Thackeray government and tarnish the image of Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray.
“The Opposition BJP felt that nobody can run the government except itself. It is not able to digest that the Thackeray government is functioning smoothly. It has not able to point fingers at the government on anything. It is a conspiracy by the Opposition to defame the Thackeray government and Aaditya Thackeray by using this case. They have no sympathy for Sushant Singh Rajput. There is only politics in this case,” Parab told mediapersons when asked about the BJP alleging a youth leader’s connection in the case and that the government was trying to save him.
He added that the government had nothing to hide from an investigation by any agency. “Nobody (in the government) has anything to do with the case. So, we don’t have anything to hide… whether the investigation is being carried out by CBI or RAW.”
However, in private, Sena leaders expressed disquiet that this may be the first of many attacks against Aaditya with the aim to tarnish his image.
“The case is being politicised for the Bihar polls. Attempts were made by BJP to provoke us to make anti-Bihar statements but we figured out its plan,” said a Sena leader, pointing to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s remarks two weeks ago that this was “not a Maharashtra vs Bihar” issue and should not be made into one.
Another party leader said that it seems to be BJP’s strategy to attack the Thackeray scion in order to dent his image and prevent him from weaning non-Marathi people in Mumbai to Sena.
“In the last one month, the BJP has succeeded to an extent in damaging Aadityaji’s image. This is being done for the upcoming Bihar elections and the BMC polls in 2022. The BJP is attacking him with an ultimate motive of garnering political gains. This won’t be the last attack on him… many such attacks may be made ahead of the BMC polls,” the leader added.