NCP termed Sameer Bhujbal’s arrest as a politics of vendetta and said that BJP is misusing the government machinery for settling political scores with their party, whereas Kirit Somaiya hints Pankaj as the next target.
Politics of vendetta has taken centrestage in Maharashtra after the arrest of Sameer Bhujbal, nephew of former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal by Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the multi-crore Maharashtra Sadan construction scam. Ever since the BJP government has come to power in the state, it has ordered for a probe into the various scams in which the Bhujbal’s family members name has cropped up.
The timing of Sameer’s arrest coincides with the US tour undertaken by Chhagan Bhujbal. After Sameer’s arrest, BJP MP from Mumbai North East Kirit Somaiya tweeted, “We have done it, Pankaj to follow.”
Kirit was referring to Bhujbal’s son Pankaj who is also one of the Directors in the firms that are alleged to be involved in money laundering activities. Thus, BJP is planning to weaken NCP ahead of the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections and Nashik Municipal Corporation elections.
“Sameer’s arrest is a ploy of the BJP. It’s one more attempt to malign the reputation of Bhujbalji while he is representing the country abroad,” said his family member, when AV contacted them.
“We are being harassed without any reason,” Chhagan Bhujbal said, reacting to Sameer’s arrest. The arrest has been made without any evidence, the former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister said.
NCP termed Sameer Bhujbal’s arrest as a politics of vendetta and added that BJP is misusing the government machinery for settling political scores. NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, “This has been done to support BJP whose Member of Parliament (MP) Kirit Somaiya first makes a statement and then two days later, action (by ED) happens”.
“This proves that BJP plans and the agencies execute it. Our party has full faith in (the) judiciary,” he said.
For the first time since he was discharged from hospital, Sharad Pawar, Chief of Bhujbals’ party in support said, “The Bhujbal family is being targeted and the investigating agencies are being pressurised.”
Stating that the person complaining in the case belongs to a political party, Pawar accused the state government of misusing power saying, “I have not seen such harassment before. It is a vindictive approach. The same family is raided again and again by the state agency and then national agency.”
Bhujbal was arrested under certain sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for failing to cooperate with the agency during the probe. The agency also carried out searches at nine different locations in Mumbai, including Bhujbal’s residences in Worli, Santacruz and Mumbai Education Trust (MET) in Bandra, an institute run by the family. This is not the first time that agency has carried out investigations.
A senior ED official told that the agency had summoned Sameer and Pankaj (Bhujbal’s son) in the past but the former MP from Nashik had failed to turn up. He finally reached the ED’s regional office in Ballard Estate, in South Mumbai, on Monday afternoon. He was questioned for nearly nine hours, and on failing to give “satisfactory replies”, was placed under arrest.
According to the official, there are many unexplained transactions which the agency suspects are kickbacks received by the Bhujbals by floating dummy companies. The ED had filed a case under the PMLA against Bhujbal and his kin last June. Bhujbal is already facing a probe by the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau, into alleged irregularities in the award of contracts for three building projects in 2006 when Chhagan Bhujbal was Deputy CM and PWD Minister.
