Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India]: Shiv Sena (UBT faction) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday slammed the central government for focusing only on the development work in Gujarat and said that it is not development but robbery.
Addressing a press conference, Raut said, "I would only say that the whole country is one, development should be for the whole country, the Prime Minister belongs to the whole country, but the way big projects from Maharashtra and many other states are implemented in only one state, i.e., Gujarat, It is called robbery, not development."
"Diamond Market also went to Gujarat; Vedanta Poxon also went to Gujarat; and our poor government, one Chief Minister and two Deputy Chief Ministers--these dishonest people are watching with open eyes," he added.
He further alleged that the government wants to weaken Maharashtra, adding, "You have to weaken Mumbai and take the wealth here to Gujarat, just like the East India Company used to do."
Further, when asked about the rape of a girl at IIT-Banaras Hindu University, Raut said that it shows that the accused were the BJP's people.
"Varanasi is the constituency of Prime Minister Modi ji and is a very sacred and religious area. You are going to inaugurate the Ram temple at one place and on the other side, the people who took away the clothes of our Sita Maiya in Varanasi are your special people. You have been seen with them in photos," he said.
Two members of the BJP-IT cell were among the three people arrested in the rape case of a student of IIT-BHU.
"It came to know what is the character of BJP's IT cell. It is being used to defame others only," Sanjay Raut added.
On speculations of former MP Prakash Ambedkar joining the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Sanjay Raut said that talks are underway and a decision will be taken when the proposal comes forward.
"The Congress Party and Nationalist Congress Party have also invited Prakash Ambedkar to Mahavikas Aghadi and have asked Uddhav Thackeray Saheb to talk to him," he said.
—ANI