Pratap Sarnaik a prominent among the Shiv Sena leaders who demanded sedition charges against actor Kangana Ranaut for her “Mumbai-PoK” remarks while alleging she felt unsafe in the city because of what she alleged was poor police handling of the Sushant Singh Rajput case. Since Shiv Sena ended its long-term ties with the BJP last year after a dispute over power-sharing in Maharashtra nothing is going well between them. The Sena came to power in the state in an alliance with ideological rivals NCP and Congress. Shiv Sena leader and cabinet minister Pratap Sarnaik’s home and offices in Thane were raided by the Enforcement Directorate. ED also conducted searches at ten other places in Mumbai and Thane with respect to a money laundering case. Shiv Sena believes it’s a political plot to take revenge. As Chairman of Vihang Group Of Companies, he has been involved in many Real Estate projects in Thane City since 1989. Few Residential/ Commercial projects executed are Vihang Shantivan, Vihang Garden, Srushti Complex, Vihang Residency, Vihang Tower, Vihang Vihar, Vihang Park, Raunak Tower, Vihang Arcade & Raunak Arcade. Pratap Sarnaik owns Hotel Vihang’s Inn – a 3-Star business hotel at Thane. The group also owns Vihang’s Palm club which offers a swimming pool, health club, jacuzzi, and squash. Sarnaik is one of the filthy rich politicians of Maharashtra.
Soon after he was appointed one of the main spokespersons, Sarnaik, who also has interests in real estate, had become vocal against the Opposition in the state. He brought in privilege motions against Kangana Ranaut and Arnab Goswami in the previous session of the Assembly. That is the reason Shiv Sena termed the ED’s raids on properties of Pratap Sarnaik as “political vendetta” and said the Maharashtra government or its leaders will not surrender to pressure from anyone. Talking to reporters, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, without naming the BJP, said it should forget the dream of coming to power in Maharashtra for the next 25 years, “no matter how much pressure it exerts or spreads terror through agencies”. “If you have begun today, we know how to end it,”. Both the parties once were in alliance and they turned blind at corruption, In 2015 people elected BJP and Devendra Fadnavis as CM because he came up with Ajit Pawar’s irrigation scam, by calling NCP a national corrupt Party, last year Devendra was at the feet of Pawar & sworn in with him for power. Looking at these double standards BJP looks similar to others; they lost the narrative on Corruption free party. BJP and Shivsena was in alliance for decades, the Shiv Sena, which was earlier a long-term ally of the BJP but snapped ties with it last year over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post, is in power in Maharashtra along with the NCP and Congress.
Sarnaik is said to have a lot of clout in the Thane region and for long had a rivalry with NCP’s Jitendra Awhad. But after the formation of the MVA government, recently they held a joint press conference over a housing scheme launched by Awhad. Sarnaik is seen as a firebrand politician of the old Shiv Sena mold. He has in the past courted controversy with his less than politically correct statements. Sarnaik has won from Thane multiple times and was rewarded for his loyalty with a cabinet berth. Sarnaik had also been vocal during the Sushant Singh Rajput case defending the allegations made against Sena scion Aaditya Thackeray. He had also asked for a drugs probe against actor Kangana Ranaut for her earlier statements about drug consumption.
As Sarnaik is close to Matoshree, the party may see this as feud politics against him. At present he is a Member of the Legislative Assembly – Ovala-Majiwada (Vidhan Sabha constituency), Communication Leader- Mira Bhayander, Shivsena, Chairman- Vihang Group of Companies, and Founder & President- Sanskruti Yuva Pratishthan.
Pratap Sarnaik was born in a Maharashtra middle-class family in 1964 at Wardha to Indirabai & Baburao Sarnaik. His father Baburao Sarnaik migrated to Mumbai. Pratap Sarnaik attended the Pendharkar College in Dombivli. His fondness for social service made him join the Students Movement during his college days. Pratap Sarnaik started his political career with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He left the NCP in November 2008 and joined the Shiv Sena. He won the General elections, from Ovala-Majiwada (Vidhan Sabha constituency) as Shiv Sena candidate with 52,373 votes. His two sons, Vihang and Purvesh are key members of Yuva Sena. Younger son Purvesh Sarnaik is Secretary of Yuva Sena and actively involved in its activities and campaigns. His wife Parisha Sarnaik too is a local corporator in Thane Municipal Corporation representing Ward 29. The entire family in politics and they have accumulated wealth. The raid on Sarnaiks comes just a week before the first anniversary of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi on November 28. The ED officials along with the CRPF personnel raided the home and around nine other premises belonging to Sarnaik. Later, his son Vihang was detained for his involvement in money laundering, Benami Transactions, Parking Corrupt/Scam. Pratap Sarnaik stands by his statements on actress Kangana Ranaut.
He earlier accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of colluding with the National Commission for Women (NCW) to push for his arrest. Maharashtra got Mumbai because of the martyrdom of 106 heroes in the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement. If anyone says anything about Mumbai, which we got after shedding the blood of Marathi manus, I will definitely not tolerate it,” he tweeted in Marathi. In another tweet, he said, “The BJP has played a game of arresting me by colluding with the NCW. But no matter how many times I have to go to jail for the pride of Mumbai and Maharashtra, I am ready.” NCW was not assigned against him but finally, he fell into the trap of ED. The ED conducted searches at 10 locations linked to Pratap Sarnaik including his residence and office in Mumbai and Thane, in connection with a money-laundering probe. The raids were conducted at properties owned by promoters of Tops Group, which runs a security services company.
