Land row: Raut slams BJP, says it will be in oppn for 25 yrs

The Shiv Sena on Friday said allegations of land deals between the families of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and the late Anvay Naik were attempts to change the direction of probe into the suicide of the Alibaug-based interior designer. The ruling party's chief spokesperson, Sanjay Raut, hit out at the BJP and singled out for criticism its former MP Kirit Somaiya, who made claims of land deals between the two families on Wednesday and sought a probe.

Further lashing out at the main opposition party, Raut said, "We will ensure that the BJP remains out of power for 25 years in Maharashtra." Talking to reporters, Raut lost his cool and referred to the BJP as "shethji's party" and called Somaiya a "vyapari" (traders). "Spokespersons of the shethji party/traders are not ready to speak about a Marathi woman being widowed (referring to interior designer Anvay Naik's wife).

"She and her daughter are crying for justice and when we are trying to ensure that they get justice, these people are making allegations to divert direction of the probe into the suicide. This is a serious matter," said Raut, hitting out at the Sena's former ally. A land deal between the two families was done legally in 2014, the Rajya Sabha MP claimed.

"Is he (Somaiya) having a problem that a Marathi person did the deal," he said, adding no matter what the Sena-led MVA government will last its full term (till 2024). "We will ensure that the BJP sits out of power for 25 years in Maharashtra. Our stand is togive justice to the family of Anvay Naik and punish those legally who forced him to take the extreme step of ending his life," Raut said.

"Shethji's party wants to protect the accused," the Sena leader said in an apparent reference to TV journalist Arnab Goswami, who along with two others, has been charged with abetting the suicide of Anvay Naik and his mother over non-payment of dues by their companies. "What 21 deals is he (Somaiya) talking about? Show me even five. There was one transaction which was absolutely legal," Raut aid.

Asked about the demand for a probe by the Enforcement Directorate into the alleged land deals, Raut shot back, "Why only ED...let there be a probe by the CBI. Go to Interpol, FBI, KGB, Interpol and the United Nations. Somaiya has alleged there were multiple land deals between Uddhav Thackeray's wife Rashmi and Anvay Naik who allegedly committed suicide on May 5, 2018.

"How are you linked to the accused. Don't you have any concern for the mother-son duo who ended their lives?" Raut asked, targeting the former BJP Member of Parliament. Goswami, editor-in-chief of Republic TV, was arrested by the Alibaug police in adjoining Raigad district on November 4 and released from jail on November 11 after the Supreme Court granted him interim bail in the case.