Raut’s Book Claims Pawar Stopped Modi’s Arrest, Helped Shah To Get Bail

Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has made some sensational claims in his new book ‘Narkatil Swarg’ (Heaven in Hell), which has caused uproar in political circles. NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar played a decisive role in saving Narendra Modi and Amit Shah from the UPA government at the Centre when they were facing intense probe in Gujarat in the wake of the Godhra riots, Raut has claimed.

“When Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, there was a UPA government at the Centre and many investigative agencies including the CBI had initiated action against him. During that time, many police officers in Modi’s government as well as Amit Shah were arrested. There was a possibility that Narendra Modi himself would also be arrested,” the Sena leader said in his book, which chronicles his time in Arthur Road Jail and his encounters with investigative agencies.

At this crucial juncture, Pawar, the then Agriculture Minister in the Union government, took a firm stand in a cabinet meeting and expressed his opinion that “it is not right to arrest and jail the democratically elected Chief Minister.” Modi’s arrest was averted due to the tacit consent of many ministers to this stand, Raut said.

In the murder case in Gujarat, a special team of the CBI had strongly opposed bail to Amit Shah. However, Modi himself sought Pawar’s help and the veteran leader, in his own way, intervened and secured bail for Shah, the Sena (UBT) leader claimed.

Raut wrote in his book that Shiv Sena founder late Balasaheb Thackeray also saved Shah. The Rajya Sabha MP claimed that Shah, fearing imminent arrest despite having secured interim bail, made an unannounced visit to Matoshree – Thackeray’s residence – along with his son Jay Shah. Denied entry on his first attempt due to tight security, Shah returned the next day and finally managed to meet the Sena patriarch.

During their meeting, Raut claimed, Shah reportedly grew emotional and appealed for help, telling Balasaheb Thackeray that his loyalty to Hindutva had now put him and his family at risk.

Moved by the appeal, Balasaheb made a discreet but decisive phone call. “In whatever capacity and chair you may have, don’t forget that you are Hindu also,” Raut’s book quotes Balasaheb Thackeray as saying to the unnamed recipient. That one call, according to Raut, eased the legal hurdles for Amit Shah and “played a pivotal role in shaping his political ascent.”

“However, how much did Amit Shah and Modi remember this help from Sharad Pawar?” Raut has raised the question. Also mentioning the support given to Modi-Shah by Balasaheb Thackeray and Shiv Sena during that time, he said, however, Modi and Shah, after rising to power, turned their backs on those who once stood by him. “Amit Shah forgot all those favours, and behaved very cruelly with Shiv Sena and the Thackeray family,” he has written.

Reacting to Raut’s claims, Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis mocked the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader calling his book “juvenile literature”.

“I have stopped reading fiction and stories. I am no longer at the age to read such things which are meant for children. So, I don’t read them,” Fadnavis said.