Mumbai, Feb 17: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday alleged that members of the BJP were involved in looting the New India Cooperative Bank, where funds of Rs 122 crore have been misappropriated, and questioned the Maharashtra government’s silence on the issue.
Two persons, including Hitesh Mehta, the general manager and head of accounts of the New India Cooperative Bank, have been arrested for allegedly embezzling Rs 122 crore from the safes of the Prabhadevi and Goregaon offices of the bank.
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged that members of the BJP were involved in looting the bank in Mumbai.
“Where is BJP leader Kirit Somaiya now? Such a big bank has been looted. Is he silent because BJP members looted the bank? This money didn’t belong to the rich or common people; it belonged to taxi drivers. The bank was founded by the socialist leader late George Fernandes. Why is Somaiya not supporting the depositors who are affected? Why was the ED not informed?” he said.
The Rajya Sabha MP further slammed the state government for keeping mum about the issue and questioned why it had not held a press conference.
The Sena (UBT) leader criticised BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, accusing him of exploiting the murder case of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh for political gains.
Dhas had upped the attack against state Minister Dhananjay Munde, whose aide Walmik Karad has been arrested in an extortion case related to the murder of Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village, in December last year.
The Sena (UBT) leader criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of failing to act on reports claiming Indians were shackled while being deported from the US for illegal immigration.
If the prime minister has stopped Russia-Ukraine, why has he failed to act when the US was sending Indian deportees in shackles, he said.
“Indians are being shackled on our soil. If PM Modi can stop the Ukraine-Russia war, as his followers claim with slogans like ‘Modiji ne war rukwa di papa’, why has he failed to act when Americans have put Indians in chains? What has he done?” he questioned.
He further claimed that Sikh deportees were forced to remove their turbans by the US authorities.
Raut also questioned the government over the stampedes at the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and the New Delhi railway station, in which several people lost their lives.(PTI)
