Attack on hotel: Sena MP held, released on bail
28 Jan 2009, 0229 hrs IST, Ambarish Mishra, TNN

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, who was arrested by the Mumbai police on Tuesday for creating a mayhem in a suburban five-star hotel last week,
has accused civil aviation minister Praful Patel of putting pressure on the Maharashtra government to get him behind bars. ‘‘Patel and a lobby of capitalists brought pressure on the Maharashtra government to get me arrested,’’ Raut told TOI after he was released on bail. Earlier in the day, he was arrested for ‘‘leading an attack’’ on Hotel Intercontinental in Andheri on January 21. He reportedly led a contingent of Bharatiya Kamgar Sena, the labour wing of Shiv Sena, activists to the hotel to take up the issue of the 21 sacked employees. The police produced Raut before the Andheri metropolitan magistrate who sent him on judicial remand till February 5. However, a bail application subsequently came up before the same court and Raut was released on bail on a personal bond of Rs. 5,000. Said Raut,‘‘The capitalist lobby which controls the Central and the state government as well is keen on scuttling the trade union movement in the country. The BKS has been fighting for the legitimate rights of the 21 employees of Hotel Intercontinental. But, Patel and his capitalist friends are oblivious to workers’ woes.’’ ‘‘The BKS had intimated the hotel management that the union activists, led by me and Suryakant Mahadik (BKS chief), wished to call on the personnel officials and hold talks with them. The management didn’t care to reply to the letter. Worse, the gates were closed on our faces. The BKS activists went on a rampage under extreme provocation from the management,’’ he said, adding, ‘‘I will repeat the offence if it helps the workers.’’