Some rebel MLAs will certainly return: Sanjay Raut

MUMBAI, (PTI): Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut claimed on Friday that at least some of the rebel MLAs will return to the party fold.

Speaking two days after his release on bail in a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), he also said a parliamentary committee should look into all such cases.

As many as 40 Shiv Sena MLAs including current Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde rebelled against the party leadership in June which led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government. “Some of them will certainly come back. I am confident that some will return,” Raut told ABP Majha, a Marathi news channel.

The rebel MLAs were now giving reasons for leaving the party, Raut said, adding, ”What has Shiv Sena not done for these people? The party has done more for them than for me.” In the PMLA cases there is no scope for quick bail, and many of such cases are registered out of political vendetta or to settle personal scores, the Rajya Sabha MP said.

There should be a ”bench” of a retired Supreme Court judge or a Joint Parliamentary Committee with high representation of opposition members to look into these cases, Raut said.

He also said he had no personal animosity for BJP leader and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

He reiterated his praise for Fadnavis for some of the decisions taken by the government related to housing for the poor. (PTI)