MVA government can't be intimidated by ED, CBI probes: Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has hit out at the BJP for indulging in politics of vendetta and said his Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government cannot be intimidated by the ED and the CBI probesHe said this in an interview to Sena MP Sanjay Raut who is also the executive editor of the party mouthpiece Saamana on the occasion of the MVA government completing a year in office on SaturdayThis government has the blessings of people and it cannot be intimidated by ED and CBI probes Thackeray said There is no end to vendetta politics I am not in favour in taking this path Stop this political perversity he saidHis statement comes three days after the Enforcement Directorates ED conducted raids at the premises linked to Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane in connection with a moneylaundering caseThe chief minister expressed confidence that his government comprising Shiv Sena NCP and Congress will complete the next four years in office and said that it is up to the people to decide after thatThackeray said NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Sonia Gandhi showed political courage to join hands with the Shiv Sena to form the MVA government last yearSome people thought these three parties will not come together and that the Shiv Sena had no option but to go behind them he said without naming the BJPThe Shiv Sena and the BJP had contested the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections together but the alliance fell apart after results following differences over sharing the chief ministerial postThe Shiv Sena which won 56 seats had said the two parties had reached such an understanding before the elections a claim denied by the BJP The Sena then joined hands with the NCP and the Congress to form the governmentOn the BJPs claim that it would wrest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC from the Shiv Sena in the 2022 civic polls Thackeray said the BMC which is controlled by his party was a strong fortress of trust for the SenaMumbaikars will not allow the fortress to crumble he saidSlamming the BJP out without naming it for targeting his son and state minister Aaditya Thackeray in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case he said When I am challenged I am encouraged Dont misjudge my demeanor of composure and patienceEven you have families and children and you are not clean Not just me but the people of the state will teach you a lesson Thackeray saidPoliticisation of Sushant Singh Rajputs death was cheap politicsworse than perversity he saidHe admitted that he had no experience of running a government and administration but his family had a history of serving the peopleThere is excellent cooperation from allies in running the administration While presiding over cabinet meetings what surprises me is that all colleagues from Congress and NCP give me so much respect although we were political rivals till recentlyThere is no tightrope walk We have gelled with each other very well I was never under pressure of power I had seen power from close even though I had not experienced it he saidReplying to a query about him driving to Mantralaya state secretariat and his official bungalow Varsha from his personal residence in Bandra he said his feet were firmly on the groundThe clutch break accelerator and the steering wheel are firmly in my hands he saidOn the criticism that he had remained indoors during the pandemic he said I am working from my office If I had not ventured out the Shiv Sena wouldnt have grown Even during the lockdown investments worth crores of rupees were brought to the stateSpeaking on love jihad a term used by BJP leaders to describe religious conversions in the guise of marriage Thackeray asked whether the BJPs alliances with parties and leaders of different ideologies like PDP Chandrababu Naidu Nitish Kumar and Ram Vilas Paswan werent political love jihadThackeray said that being in the government he got less time to spend with Shiv sainiks in the last one year Then there is coronavirus due to which political gatherings are not allowed he saidKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever