The Income Tax Department on Tuesday, 8 March, conducted raids at the professional and residential premises of Shiv Sena office-bearer Rahul Kanal, a close aide of Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray, and an associate of Sena's Anil Parab.
Calling this an 'attack,' Thackeray claimed that central agencies had been converted into "a propaganda machinery for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and were "misused in this manner in the past."
"...It happened in Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and now when elections are to be held in Maharashtra, it is happening here too," Thackeray added.
The raids are reportedly still underway in Mumbai and Pune.
This comes after the central department conducted raids against a "prominent person", who is a Shiv Sena affiliate, and some Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) contractors.
The Shiv Sena, the ruling party in the state of Maharashtra along with the NCP and Congress, presides over the BMC at present.
Sanjay Raut Accuses ED of Targeting Maharashtra Leaders, Extortion
Reacting to the news, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut denounced the central agencies for selectively targeting parties and trying to "pressurise and destabilise" the state's Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
"Why are central agencies targeting a selected few from states like West Bengal and Maharashtra...don't they get anybody else from other states, it's a tactic to pressurise and destabilise the MVA government," ANI quoted the leader as saying.
Raut went on to accuse a nexus of ED officials of running a "criminal syndicate and extortion racket", saying that they will be probed by the Mumbai Police.
He added that he has given records of their illegal transactions to the PM.
"Some ED officials are contesting elections on BJP tickets, ED has become ATM of BJP and I have given records of extortion by these officers to the PM. Nexus of ED officers are extorting contractors, developers, and builders," news agency ANI quoted Raut as saying.
He added, "Mark my words, some of these ED officers will go to jail too."
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