Express News Service
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray finally broke his silence over the Enforcement Directorate’s action against his brother-in-law in a money laundering case.
Thackeray alleged the saffron party is hungry for power and therefore making allegations after allegations against his government and targeting his relatives and Shiv Sainiks.
“If they (BJP) want power I am ready to give it to them. But first, they should put me in jail on the charges that they are making. I am saying I will go with you. Not for power. The things you are doing now, defaming my family members, seizing their assets, I am not afraid of such actions,” the CM said.
“If the BJP wants to fight against us, they should come in open and fight, instead of using agencies to target the families. This is not braveness. We never targeted anyone’s family members. We never brought out your family’s issues in public,” the Maharashtra CM said.
Referring to the epic Ramayana, Thackeray said similar to Ravan’s life was concentrated at his nabhi (navel) the BJP’s existence is focused on Mumbai even though the party is in power at the Centre.
“India Gandhi imposed a declared emergency but today in our country there is an undeclared emergency. The Central agencies are being misused to target the opposition parties. Agencies are working as ghar gadi (household workers). BJP leaders first make the allegation, the ED takes the action,” Thackeray said.
Defending jailed minister Nawab Malik, Thackeray said if Devendra Fadnavi’s “morning swearing experiment” had succeeded, then Malik and Anil Deshmukh would have his (Fadnavis) cabinet colleagues today.
“We are not sharing power with the BJP therefore we are deliberately targeted. When we were with the BJP, no one raised any issues or targeted our families,” he said.
