ED, I-T raids on Mushrif: MVA slams BJP for unleashing 'fear politics'

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of unleashing 'politics of fear', the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) slammed the Enforcement Directorate-Income Tax Department (ED-ITD) raids on senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Hasan Mushrif and his aides in Kolhapur and Pune since dawn on Wednesday.

Top MVA leaders, including state NCP President Jayant Patil, Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Ajit Pawar, Dilip Walse-Patil, Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase, state Congress President Nana Patole, Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve, and others condemned the raids on Mushrif.

Patil said attempts are made to 'defame' the Opposition leaders while Patole said its part of the BJP strategy to create 'fear among the Opposition leaders' with a blatant misuse of the probe agencies, making a mockery of democracy and "the people will teach the BJP a lesson through the democratic process".

Claiming there are systematic attempts to target sugar factories since 2014 and crush the cooperative movement which has benefitted the farming community, Londhe said why "only the Opposition leaders are being hounded" and why Somaiya is not talking about those who have walked over to the BJP.

Claiming that Mushrif is being framed for speaking out against the BJP, Raut asked why the tainted leaders who joined the BJP are not being touched by Somaiya or the probe agencies.

Swooping at dawn, the ED-IT teams of nearly two-dozen officials swarmed the Kolhapur home in Kagal (Kolhapur) and some other locations linked to Mushrif, his aides in Kolhapur and Pune and others for alleged corruption and money-laundering cases.

The action came after BJP former MP Kirit Somaiya levelled allegations of financial irregularities, corruption and money-laundering of hundreds of crores pertaining to deals through defunct companies, grabbing a sugar mill, besides amassing huge properties, against the former Minister.

On the radar of the probe agencies for some time, Mushrif has vehemently denied Somaiya's accusations and said people of a 'particular community are being targetted'.

"The countdown for Mushrif has begun... Why does Hasan-Miya remember his religion now? After Miya Hasan Mushrif, there are many other leaders who will face the consequences," warned Somaiya, naming Congress former Minister from Mumbai Aslam Shaikh as the next probable target.

He cited several instances and reeled off figures of alleged money deals involving Mushrif, his associates, and others through shell or bogus companies, how the funds were reportedly routed for other illegal deals worth hundreds of crores of rupees.

Soon after the ED-ITD started its operations, a large number of NCP activists gathered outside Mushrif's home and staged angry protests, raised slogans against the BJP, the government and the probe agencies, and gave calls for 'Kolhapur shutdown' Wednesday.

Mushrif is the third senior NCP leader after Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik, besides Shiv Sena (UT)'s Raut, facing the heat of the various probe agencies in the past couple of years.

--IANS

qn/dpb