Mumbai: Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra Wednesday categorically said that Minister of Minority Affairs Nawab Malik will neither resign nor sacked from the cabinet.
The MVA government announced this reportedly after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar following the arrest of Nawab Mailk. Mamata Banerjee also faced similar situation when some of her cabinet colleagues came under ED radar.
Nawab Malik was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) after questioning him for nearly 8 hours in an alleged shady land deal case on Wednesday.
Senior MVA leaders who included from NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena held a meeting soon after Malik’s arrest, calling the move “vendetta politics”.
“The meeting at NCP chief Sharad Pawar residence concluded. It was decided that vendetta politics by BJP through central agencies should be dealt seriously.
And need to support Nawab Malik and decided to remain united and fight it out this battle against BJP”, party sources said after the meeting.
Commenting on the arrest of Nawab Malik, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said those who speak truth are being harassed.
“There is nothing new in this. We were expecting the action against Nawab Malik since he was openly expressing his stand," he said.
Senior Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut said:
“When they could not fight Maha Vikas Aghadi face to face, they attacked from behind like Afzal Khan. Let it go on. If someone enjoys putting away a minister illegally, let them. “We will fight and win without the resignation of Nawab Malik. Kansa and Ravana were also killed. This is Hinduism. The battle has just started. Jai Maharashtra.”
“When they could not fight Maha Vikas Aghadi face to face, they attacked from behind like Afzal Khan. Let it go on. If someone enjoys putting away a minister illegally, let them.
“We will fight and win without the resignation of Nawab Malik. Kansa and Ravana were also killed. This is Hinduism. The battle has just started. Jai Maharashtra.”
Malik had earlier held a series of press conference to raise questions over the functioning of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) after the arrest of Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan in cruise drug case.
Malik had especially targeted senior NCB officer Sameer Wankhede alleging he had submitted fake documents while seeking government job.
Shortly after the formal arrest, Malik was whisked off by an ED team for a medical check-up at the Sir J.J. Hospital, and produced before the designated Special PMLA Court later this afternoon.
Additional Solicitor General Anil Desai is representing the ED while eminent lawyer Amit Desai appeared on Malik's behalf, as the Minister's relatives, including sister and daughter Sana Khan reached the court.
As he was escorted out of the ED office by police and ED sleuths, a grinning Malik sporting a white kurta-pyjama, was seen raising a fist in the air, and declaring:
"Jhukenge nahin, ladenge aur jeetenge (Will not succumb, will fight and win)" to his supporters as he was made to sit in a vehicle.
The fast-paced developments started with an ED team, accompanied by Central Industrial Security Force personnel, knocking at Malik's home around 4.30 a.m and taking him away a couple of hours later for questioning in the 17-year-old Kurla land deal having a mafia taint, with an alleged money-laundering angle emerging from it.
The ED had summoned teams of the CISF and Mumbai Police security for the arrest even as a large number of Nationalist Congress Party workers staged a noisy protest outside the agency's office since morning to protest the proceedings against Malik.
Malik, 62, becomes the first sitting minister and second senior NCP leader to be arrested by the ED after former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on November 2, 2021 in alleged corruption and money-laundering cases.
For all the latest News, Opinions and Views, download ummid.com App.
Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic.
