MPCC chief accuses BJP of “oppressive behaviour” as ED searches Nagpur lawyer who filed petitions against Fadnavis

Patole urges Chief Justices of SC and HC to save Indian democracy; Sanjay Raut says ED probes have become a joke

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Mumbai: Following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) raids on the residence of the controversial Nagpur-based lawyer Satish Uke, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Nana Patole on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’ of displaying “oppressive behaviour” in its misuse of central agencies to silence dissenting voices against it.

Nagpur based lawyer Satish Uke is believed to have connections in political circles, is known to have filed cases on behalf of Patole. He had, in recent years, filed a slew of petitions against former chief minister and BJPs leader of opposition (LoP) in Legislative Assembly Devendra Fadnavis.

Speaking to newspersons, Patole remarked, “The BJP has throttled democracy in this country. Their authoritarian and oppressive behaviour is evident against whoever speaks out against them, not just Satish Uke but in many other cases (against the Maha Vikas Aghadi leadership) as seen in recent months. Even as Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister (Amit Shah) with proofs against ED authorities misusing their power, no action has been forthcoming.”

The MPCC president urged the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Bombay High Court to take suo motu cognisance in a bid to save democracy in India.

“The rationale for the ED’s constitutions was to combat terrorist activities, break the drug mafia and curb human trafficking. Instead, it is today being used to pressurize non-BJP political parties or persons who have filed petitions against BJP leaders,” alleged Patole. The MPCC chief further stated that if the BJP so wished, they could file a false case against him and throw him in jail.

Patole, meanwhile, has dismissed reports appearing in a section of the media about brewing discontentment within the Maharashtra Congress after 25 Congress MLAs wrote a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking her intervention to put things on track within the party. They have alleged “poor coordination” within the party as the prime reason for their growing discontent.

Patole, however, downplayed both this intra-party rift as well as discordant notes struck by the three ideologically opposed Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies. He said that the MLAs had a right to meet with Sonia Gandhi if they wished to talk about something.

Dismissing reports of differences in the ruling alliance, Patole said, “All three parties are firmly united. The MVA is strong. There are no rifts within the government. In fact, we are chalking a strategy to combat the misuse of central agencies. This will be clear in the near future.”

Reacting to the ED searches of Uke’s residence, Sanjay Raut said that it would not be surprising if similar raids were soon carried out against Patole himself.

He further added, “This (probes by central agencies) has now been reduced to a joke. This is no cause for worry any longer, but only for mirth. Whistle-blowers are being persecuted, but against those whom proofs have been submitted were not investigated.”

Raut further added that the scales of justice seemed tilted against those states where the Chief Minister is not from the BJP. He further termed the ED raids as, “misuse of agencies is like sanctioned goondaism.” Raut further wanted to know as to why central agencies were not probing BJP leaders against whom the MVA leaders had submitted proofs.