Latest news with #NarkatalaSwarg
India Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
I had warned UPA about possible misuse of money laundering act: Sharad Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday alleged that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had ignored his warning about the possible misuse of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).Speaking at the launch of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's book 'Narkatala Swarg' (Heaven In Hell), Pawar said the Act has been used by the BJP-led government to target opposition leaders through the Enforcement Directorate (ED).advertisementPawar recalled being a part of the UPA cabinet when the proposal to amend the PMLA was brought forward by then-Finance Minister P Chidambaram. 'I met and warned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that it could be misused,' he said.'After 2014, the BJP government used the same Act to send Chidambaram and many other opposition leaders to jail in fake cases. MP Sanjay Raut and Anil Deshmukh were victims of this Act,' he emphasised that under the UPA government, although nine opposition leaders were charge-sheeted under PMLA, none were arrested. In contrast, under the current NDA government, 19 leaders from parties such as Congress, AAP, DMK, RJD, TMC and others have been criticised the present administration, describing it as an 'autocratic' regime that had 'turned a heaven like India into a hell' through the misuse of central investigative event also saw the presence of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar, and Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale, who joined Pawar in launching the book chronicling his 101 days in jail in Akhtar praised Raut for his 'fearless expression,' as he didn't surrender to pressure.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘UPA government ignored my warning against PMLA, BJP later misused it': Pawar
MUMBAI: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had ignored his warning about the possible misuse of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to its own detriment—after the BJP came to power, PMLA was used to suppress opposition leaders by using the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Pawar was speaking at the launch of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's book 'Narkatala Swarg' (Heaven In Hell) on his 101 days in jail in 2022. The book was launched by Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar and Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale. 'When our cabinet colleague P Chidambaram tabled a proposal to amend the PMLA, I had warned PM Manmohan Singh that it could be misused,' said Pawar. 'After 2014, the BJP government used the same act to send Chidambaram and many other opposition leaders to jail in fake cases. MP Sanjay Raut and Anil Deshmukh were victims of this Act.' Uddhav Thackeray said that the current 'autocratic' regime had turned a heaven like India into a hell by its misuse of central investigation agencies, and added that since India followed a federal structure, states too should be allowed to use these agencies. Hinting at the Gujarati element, he said it was a 'strange coincidence' that Moraraji Desai, Rajni Patel and now Modi-Shah wanted to finish the Shiv Sena. 'It's because the party raised its voice for Marathi and Mumbai,' he said. Akhtar lauded Raut for his 'fearless expression'. 'Democracy needs different political parties and citizens without political loyalty to any party who raise their voice on society's problems and the government's mistakes,' he said. 'I represent that section of society. Extremists from both sides dislike us. One side tells me to go to hell, and other side tells me to go to Pakistan. If there is a choice, I would choose hell over Pakistan,' he quipped. Akhtar also slammed ruling party leaders who criticised Raut's book before its launch. Earlier, Raut said he decided not to surrender before the 'brutal regime'. 'The memories of jail are bitter, of course, but one has to leave it at that and look at it as experience,' he said. 'Those who are willing to work in the opposition against the autocratic regime should read this book. The lesson of history is that dictatorship does not last for long.' TMC MP Gokhale said the union government had created trouble for itself by sending Raut to jail. 'This book will be read as history after a few decades and people will know that there was a dictator and there was Amit Shah and a few people who fought against the brutal regime,' he said.
The Hindu
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Sanjay Raut's book refers to BJP bigwigs as ‘ingrates,' triggering a political row
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut's controversial and as yet unreleased book Narkatala Swarg (Heaven in Hell) has made several claims concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, which sparked an uproar on Friday (May 16, 2025). The ruling alliance and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised Mr. Raut and advised him to stick to the 'facts.' In the book, he claimed that the Shiv Sena Chief late Balasaheb Thackeray, and NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar helped Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah when they faced political and legal troubles, yet the 'two were ungrateful.' 'During the 2002 Gujarat riots, former Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Modi, was about to be arrested. It was Mr. Pawar who opposed the arrest as he was an elected CM, thus shielding him,' said Mr. Raut, adding that Mr. Pawar might tell the truth. Mr. Raut made a similar allegation against Mr. Shah, saying he reached out to Balasaheb Thackeray when the CBI opposed bail during a trial in a murder case. Mr. Raut recalled Mr. Thackeray personally made a few calls for Shah's bail. Mr. Raut held Mr. Shah responsible for the split in the undivided Shiv Sena and said, 'This is how he repaid the Thackeray family.' The book further claims that the current Modi-Shah leadership, despite benefiting from the goodwill of leaders like Mr. Thackeray and Mr. Pawar, later turned against them and the very institutions that once stood by them. Mr. Raut points out that while the mainstream media has now largely turned pro-Modi, Balasaheb Thackeray was among the few who supported Mr. Modi when most political forces and media houses were against him. Explosive claims His book makes several such explosive claims, including that the media is becoming pro-Modi. Mr. Raut wrote a book about his time in jail after his arrest for alleged involvement in a financial scam. The book revolves around the investigation and his release. He also said, 'Any more revelations would have taken the State by storm.' Mr. Raut's claims were dismissed by BJP leaders. 'His words make no sense,' BJP leader Chitra Wagh said. 'No matter what he writes, it will not impact Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj's Maharashtra.' Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took a potshot at Mr. Raut and said, 'I don't read novels and children's books anymore; they no longer interest me. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule advised Mr. Raut to change the book's name from Narkatla Swarg to Narkatla Raut (Raut in Hell). Meanwhile, BJP leader and Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane advised him to state the facts and complete the book. 'He forgot a few pages; he did not include all the slang he used for the Thackeray family during the case to go with his affection for Balasaheb. If he writes all the facts, Uddhav Thackeray will take him to hell,' said Mr. Rane.
Indian Express
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Raut presents copy of his book to Pawar, Shinde Sena says ‘invitation to go to jail'
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.
