Sanjay Raut targets Centre over arrest of Disha Ravi

Raising questions over arrest of Disha Ravi in Toolkit case, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday asked, "if Centre feels a threat to the nation from the 21-year-old who is a social activist, is our nation so weak that these 10, 15, 20 year-olds have started becoming a threat to the country?"

He said there should be an open debate on the issue.

He said while Indira Gandhi had officially declared Emergency in the country, there is an "emergency" through "ingit bhasha" (indicative language).

"When an Emergency was imposed during the Prime Ministership of Indira Gandhi, she had said that officially. After taking signatures of the President she had announced an Emergency. But today'semergency' is in indicative language. Today also there is an emergency but without any official announcement," he said.

Raut referred to Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks that the Delhi Police had explained the arrest of the activist and factors such as age, gender and profession could not be relevant in assessing culpability in a crime.

"If the Centre feels a threat to the nation from the 20-year-old child who works for the environment and is a social activist, then I would like to ask that is our nation that weak that these 10, 15, 20 year-olds have started becoming a threat to the country? There should be an open debate on the issue," he said.

Disha Ravi was sent to judicial custody for three days on Friday. She was taken into custody on February 13 from Bengaluru in connection with the 'toolkit' case as part of the police probe into violence on January 26 in the national capital during the tractor march called by farmers protesting against three new farm laws.

Raut demanded that the Central government should release the outstanding dues of Maharashtra.

Responding to a question on the fuel price hike, the Shiv Sena leader said it was a "national issue".

Referring to the arrest of West Bengal BJP Yuva Morcha leader on Friday, he said, "BJP leader Pamela Goswami was arrested in West Bengal with 100 grams cocaine".

"Now, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) team in Mumbai should go there and investigate. Here in Mumbai if 50 grams of ganja is recovered or 200 grams of a drug is recovered, it becomes national news. This is how the entire Mumbai city is reeling under drugs. But now slowly and gradually the facts and truth are coming to the fore," he said.

Referring to the ensuing civic body elections, Raut said they are discussing how to contest the polls together.

"It has been decided that all three parties should contest together. Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena will be together and we are trying ways to take Congress as well together. It has been decided that the party which is strong should take lead in that area. We are discussing how we can contest elections together," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )