ED harassment to BJP bid to topple Maharashtra govt: Sensational claims in Sanjay Raut's letter to Naidu

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has written a letter to Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, claiming he was approached by “certain people” who asked him to assist in toppling the MVA government in Maharashtra so that the state could be forced into mid-term elections.

He claimed that the Enforcement Directorate and other central agencies were being used with the "oblique motive" of toppling democratically elected governments.

In the letter to Naidu, who is also the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Raut said central agencies like the ED were “systematically targeting” Shiv Sena leaders, after the party formed the MVA government in Maharashtra with the NCP and Congress after severing ties with its old ally BJP.

Raut requested Naidu to take note of the “abuse of power” and alleged harassment of Rajya Sabha members, and said the vice president should also speak up and take action in this connection.

Raut, who is the Rajya Sabha member, asserted that the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government will complete its five-year term, and said he will not bow down and will continue to speak the truth.

The Shiv Sena's chief spokesperson wrote the letter to Naidu on Tuesday and also sent its copies to leaders like Congress's Rahul Gandhi and NCP president Sharad Pawar.