Maharashtra govt is dedicated to Dawood: Devendra Fadnavis

Devendra Fadnavis

Demanding Cabinet minister Nawab Malik's resignation, BJP leader and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday it was unfortunate that the government was defending a person who has a financial deal with India's most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and his cronies in Mumbai.

Fadnavis, the leader of opposition in the state Assembly, said by not asking Malik, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, to resign, the MVA government was sending a signal to a particular community. "The government is polarising the communities by protecting Malik. There is no bigger crime than dealing with and helping a terrorist. Saving such a person is unfortunate," he said, adding, "We will have to say that this government is dedicated to Dawood Ibrahim if Nawab Malik is not sacked immediately."

The Opposition will not rest until their demand is met in the Budget Session on Thursday, he said. "This has never happened in the country. We see that the entire government is protecting the man who has links with terrorists such as Dawood. We are also witnessing that the head of government, who is also the Shiv Sena president, is with the man who has financial dealings with the murderer of Mumbai," he said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Fadnavis announced the Opposition's boycott of the CM's customary tea party on the eve of the session. "There is no question of attending the tea party hosted by the anti-people government which is sympathetic to the murderers of Mumbai," he said.

He said the Opposition was interested in raising the issues of public interest. "The farmers are distressed because their electricity connections are cut. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar assured uninterrupted power twice, but it seems he goes unheard by the government. The loan waiver is incomplete and various communities are facing issues. Chhatrapati Sambhaji [a Maratha leader] sat on an indefinite fast, but he was promised what was assured earlier."

Fadnavis said the MVA government was the most corrupt. "Corruption has reached a peak. An office clerk demands bribes from his superior officer. The officers ask for guns to protect themselves from the contractors. We will demand answers from the government," he said.

He said the MVA government hounded the BJP leaders for the past two years. "Yet, they come out with a routine defence that they are being victimised [by the Centre]. They say that Maharashtra will not bow before anyone. How can the people who are with Dawood be Maharashtra? We insist that Maharashtra will not bow, but we also insist that the 12 crore people who populate the state will teach an egoist government a lesson."

Probe us

When asked about the allegations of Rs 25,000-crore IT scam during his regime, the former CM said the media has already published that the entire budget for the IT department was Rs 300 crore. "The media had published everything with documents. If this government wants and has anything with them, it can probe," he said.

Fadnavis said he never accuses anyone without evidence. When asked if he had more dirt on the other MVA ministers, he said, "I don't fire in the air. I speak only when I have evidence. I'm definitely going to reveal more during the Budget session."