Raut presents copy of his book to Pawar, Shinde Sena says ‘invitation to go to jail'

Indian Express

04-05-2025

As Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday handed a copy of his book ''Narkatala Swarg' (Heaven in the Hell), which details his three-month jail term after the ED arrest, to NCP(SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shinde Sena took a jibe at the meeting terming it as Raut's 'invitation to Pawar to go to jail'.
Sanjay Shirsat, spokesperson of Deputy CM Eknath Shinde -led Shiv Sena, said that there could be two meanings behind the meeting.
'One, he must be telling Pawar that you go to jail, you will be able to see the heaven. The second meaning could be that Raut had been to the jail for three months, he has seen the heaven and he is much experienced now…The government should take serious cognisance of this and should once again send Raut to jail. He will then get another idea to write another book,' Shirsat said.
Raut, who met Pawar at his residence in Mumbai, also urged the NCP(SP) chief to attend the book release function to be held in Mumbai on May 17.
The book details experiences of his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in 2022 and his imprisonment. He was arrested on August 1, 2022, in the connection with the alleged irregularities in the Rs 1,034-crore Patra Chawl Development case in West Goregaon in Mumbai.
The court had granted him bail after 100 days while describing his arrest as ''illegal'.
Raut said the book will be released in presence of his party chief and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Sharad Pawar and Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale will also attend the event.
In a social media post, Pawar said,' Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut met me at my residence and invited me to attend the function for his book release. During the meeting, we discussed various state and national issues. I wishes all tthe good luck for his future endeavours.'
Speaking about his book, Raut said, book exposes the way the ED carried out his arrest and how the government went all-out to silence him.
'I was framed in a false case. This was done intentionally and brazenly to muzzle my freedom of speech. Every word that I spoke had a grain of truth in it and it hurts the powers-that-be who conspired to put him in jail. I had full faith in our judiciary which again upheld the truth and called the bluff of the rulers, he said.
'Though the government sent me to the hell, people like me did not bend or come to the knees. They could not break me, my values and my honesty. The book will inspire those who fight for democracy,' the Sena UBT leader added.
However, Raut the book does not intend to make any explosive revealation. 'Narrating the real life experiences does not mean explosive revelation. Whatever I saw and experienced has been revealed,' he said.