MUMBAI: Demanding the resignation of Minorities minister Nawab Malik from the state cabinet, the BJP accused the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of deflecting attention from Malik's links with the underworld.
Addressing the media, state unit president Chandrakant Patil said, "Nawab Malik has been arrested, he must resign now. How are they (Maha Vikas Aghadi) running the government? There’s a whole list of allegations against MVA ministers, will get tired reading it," he said.
Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis said after such serious allegation there should not be a demand for resignation rather the minister must resign. The mask of the MVA government will soon be taken off, he declared. Reacting to Malik's remand Fadnavis said Enforcement Directorate (ED), National Investigating Agencies (NIA) are competent agencies. "They raided nine places and then could put all the links together. The government says the minister (Nawab Malik) will not resign, its very unfortunate a bad precedent is being created. Dawood, the enemy of the nation was helped through this medium (Malik) and to help that person, to save his ministership the entire government is standing by him. The government will have to reply to the nation," he said.
Fadnavis said a very clear case was put forth by the ED lawyer and therefore granted remand till March 3. "In the coming days, I am going to expose how the Maharashtra government is putting up false witnesses and misusing government machinery to dupe people and leaders. I am soon going to expose this. Today's issue is about the security of the nation and it should not be politicised," he said.
BJP leader Ashish Shelar criticised the Shiv Sena and NCP for speaking against the Enforcement Directorate. “When the central investigating agencies are investigating a matter in the interest of the nation, why is the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party, instead of taking the legal route, indulging in pressurising these agencies? Why are they defaming them?” he asked. "Nawab benaqaab ho gaya’ (Nawab Malik has been exposed)," he said at a press conference at the BJP office on Wednesday.
Shelar said for the last few months, the central investigating agencies have been investigating the assets of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Instead of responding to their queries, the ruling alliance parties are resorting to simply blaming the BJP.
The government, he said, was expected to take over all the assets of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and take necessary action. "But these assets are being directly sold out or they are being transferred. Where is the money generated from these major transactions getting utilised? Is this money being utilised for terrorism? The investigating agencies have been investigating this for the last few days and the truth will be revealed," he added.
In recent days there have been news reports on the ED investigating the properties of media reports about Dawood’s sister Haseena Parkar, Sardar Shahwali Khan, Salim Patel and Iqbal Kaskar. "In such a situation, why are the ruling parties in the alliance government in Maharashtra trying to obstruct this investigation by pressurising the machinery," he alleged.
Owing to the actions of this government, "Nawab benaqaab ho gaya hai" (Nawab Malik has got exposed) and the pro-terrorist Thackeray government has been exposed, said Shelar.
On NCP president Sharad Pawar’s statement, Shelar said that terrorism has no caste or religion. And senior leaders like Pawar must be well aware about it. Condemning Supriya Sule’s statements, he said, "We do not expect such statements from leaders like Supriya Sule. Even we have self-respect and we refute such statements. She must withdraw her statement."
