Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has slammed the Centre for handing over the Sushant Singh Rajput death case to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He said that the decision has been taken for political gains and as part of pressure tactics.

Terming it as a “conspiracy against Maharashtra”, the resident editor of party mouthpiece Saamana said that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has politicised the case by linking a state minister with it.

Raut, in his weekly column Rokhthok, has said that the decision of handing over the investigation is an attack on the state’s autonomy. He has also pointed at the ‘misuse of the central agencies’ like CBI and said that the Centre’s intervention in the case is an insult to Mumbai Police. He said that though the CBI is a central agency, it has been proved time and again that it is not independent and impartial. “Many state governments have banned the CBI. People in West Bengal took to streets against the agency when it tried to intervene in the Saradha Chit Fund case,” the Shiv Sena leader stated.

“Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah were of the same opinion about the CBI when they were active in Gujarat politics. They had opposed the transfer of Godhra riots and the subsequent killings (in Gujarat in 2002). What is wrong if the same feelings are expressed after the transfer of the Sushant Singh death case to the central agency,” he questioned.

Raut also accused the BJP of defaming the state government under Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray with the help of a section of media. “One channel has been using derogatory and threatening language for chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. This has anguished many including Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar. Expressing his discontent over the disrespect to Thackeray who holds constitutional post, Pawar asked me what action the government has taken. The section of media has support from the Opposition party, which wants to destabilise the government,” he said.

“It appears that the script of the entire Sushant episode was pre-determined. The Opposition has been linking state minister Aaditya Thackeray with the case just because he shared cordial relations with some of the Bollywood actors. More disturbing is the Opposition’s stand on the entire episode as they have stood firm in support of the Bihar Police. The Opposition and a few news channels have been insensitive and inhuman about the Disha Salian and her family members who have been going through tremendous trauma,” Raut said in his column.

He has also slammed Mumbai Police for enormous delay in the investigation and said that it needs to be checked if the case was used to “terrorise” Bollywood. “Sensing the high profile character of the case, they should have ensured briefing of the case to the media every next day. Police came under tremendous pressure after the linking of a state minister to the case. The police should have clarified that they will register a statement of the politician or minister if they found any connection. By inviting the Bollywood stars to record statements, the police gave room to gossiping,” the column reads.

Raut said that Aaditya Thackeray shares cordial relations with actor Dino Morea who had hosted a party at his residence before Rajput’s death, but linking it with the case was wrong. Mudslinging against any politician without having any firm proof is unethical, he said.