Thursday, March 28, 2024

Mamata dials Pawar over Nawab Malik’s arrest, extends support

Photo courtesy to PTI.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress supremo spoke to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) head Sharad Pawar on Wednesday hours after Maharashtra minister and his party leader Nawab Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case.

The NCP leader Nawab Malik was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the money laundering case against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

During the call, which lasted for 10 mins, Banerjee expressed her support to Pawar and urged him not to remove Malik from the state government.

Accusing the BJP of masterminding the entire exercise with the help of law enforcement agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, both leaders called for opposition unity and a pushback against the misuse, NDTV reported.

Meanwhile, Pawar convened an emergency meeting at his residence in Mumbai soon after Malik’s arrest. Maharashtra ministers and NCP leaders Rajesh Tope, Ajit Pawar and Chhagan Bhujbal were among those who attended the meeting.

Maharashtra government announced it would not ask for Malik’s resignation.

“Tomorrow will protest peacefully near Mahatma Gandhi memorial in front of Mantralaya (Maharashtra secretariat). All three parties are together and will be part of this movement,” ministers Balasaheb Thorat and Chhagan Bhujbal said at a press meet.

“In the last 30 years, no one took the name of Nawab Malik with the Mumbai blasts. But now that he is speaking against Union Government, hence to shut his mouth, today he was arrested. This is very unfortunate. This is an attempt to create pressure on MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi, Maharashtra’s ruling coalition). We all condemn this. This is against democracy,” Bhujbal said.

Stepping out of the ED office after questioning, Malik told reporters “Ladenge, jeetenge, sab ko expose karenge. (Will fight, win and expose everyone).”

ED said it is probing a Rs 80 lakh payment by Nawab Malik to Haseena Parkar, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, to acquire a 3-acre land in Kurla.

Nawab Malik has been repeatedly attacking central enforcement agencies, accusing them of harassing and intimidating opposition leaders at the behest of the BJP-led Union government.

Two weeks back, Malik had hit out at the Union government for trying to topple the state government and said the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena will not only continue to govern Maharashtra but will also come to power at the Union by dislodging the BJP.

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