MUMBAI: Former Congress MP and former CM
Narayan Rane's son Nilesh made a series of allegations against the late
Shiv Sena founder
Balasaheb Thackeray
on Tuesday, saying that that he had hatched a plot to kill singer
Sonu Nigam and was responsible for the death of Anand Dighe, the Sena's popular leader from Thane.
Without offering any evidence in support of his claims,
Nilesh Rane
said, "An attempt was made to kill Sonu Nigam by Shiv Sainiks on Balasaheb's orders. Even Sonu knows about it. Do not force me to tell you what the relationship between the Thackeray family and Sonu Nigam was." He also raised questions over Dighe's death, adding that two Shiv Sainiks were extremely upset over Dighe's fate and that Balasaheb Thackeray had allegedly ordered his men to kill them.
Nilesh's charges, made at a press conference in Ratnagiri, came after allegations made against his father and ex-Sena leader Narayan Rane by sitting Sena MP from Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg, Vinayak Raut, who had defeated Nilesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Raut had, in a recent public meeting in Ratnagiri, asked, "Who killed nine people during Narayan Rane's 10-year political career? Narayan Rane should answer, if he has the courage."
Nilesh said, "We know our limitations. But Vinayak Raut has crossed limits, and that is why I have to speak. We (Nilesh and his father) have never said anything wrong about Balasaheb. But when somebody is making filthy allegations against my father, I have to reveal something about Balasaheb too. My father is closer to my heart than Balasaheb.
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