MVA united in supporting Nawab Malik, rejects BJP’s demand for his resignation

Defending the Nationalist Congress Party minister Nawab Malik who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate ED on the charges of money laundering on Wednesday NCP boss Sharad Pawar accused the Centre of vendetta politics The MVA rejected the BJPrsquos demand for Malikrsquos resignation and vowed to fight the Centrersquos in the streets Pawar said Malik speaks openly against the Centre or the BJP ldquoWhich case have they dug up It is simple They take the name of Dawood especially if there is a Muslim activist It is done despite there being no such relationrdquo he saidThe BJP demanded Malikrsquos resignation and said MVA was running away from facts and defending the accused ministerrsquos ldquoantinationalrdquo acts and links with terrorists Malik had resigned from the cabinet in 2005 following an inquiry into corruption charges made by social activist Anna HazareAhead of the 2019 Assembly polls the ED had served Pawar a notice which was withdrawn after a massive protest in Mumbai and the rest of the state The incident boosted the NCPrsquos electoral prospects On Wednesday hundreds of agitated NCP workers gathered near the ED office to protest the arrest of the minister who also heads the Mumbai NCP unit Later the workers shifted to the court where Malik was produced NCP ministers were summoned to Mumbai where the senior leaders huddled before Pawar met the CMlsquoNames taken to defamersquo ldquoI was targeted similarly when I was the chief minister of Maharashtra and an atmosphere created against me Twentyfive years have passed since then Similarly names of underworld are being taken to defame people trouble them and misuse the power against people who take positions against the Centre or the misuse of probe agencies are being troubled and this is what has happened hererdquo Pawar saidLater in the day Pawar met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray Congress and other MVA leaders They decided to not ask Malik to resign and deny the BJP the ldquodeminic pleasurersquoMalik is Maha Vikas Aghadirsquos third minister to face controversy Former forest minister Sanjay Rathod Sena quit after he was accused of abetting the suicide of a woman Former home minister Anil Deshmukh NCP is in the EDrsquos custody on money laundering charges Malik is also arrested for alleged money launderingED a pawn MemonAt the partyrsquos official press conference NCP leader and lawyer Majid Memon urged the agency officers to not play pawns in the hands of their political masters ldquoBe slaves of the constitution Donrsquot become a victim Donrsquot do anything that you will be ashamed of in the futurerdquo he said adding that the officers may have the power but they should refrain from using it to the extent of abuseThe former MP wondered why Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had to say on Wednesday the ED doesnrsquot work illegally in the matters of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act ldquoIt is not right to dig out a 17yearold case even when the minister is not involved The court will also ask what they were doing till nowrdquoMemom alleged that the action was prompted by exCM Devendra Fadnavisrsquos lsquobaseless accusationsrsquo ldquoFadnavis never loses an opportunity to disturb the MVA governmentrdquo he said wondering why the allegations made in November last were not probed immediatelyShiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said such actions will continue till 2024 ldquoAfter that it will be us and them Truth prevails We donrsquot get scared BJPrsquos mahatma Kirit Somaiya had given evidence against the leaders who are in BJP now but the ED acts only against the MVA and antiBJP party leaders in the other states We will approach the agency in these cases and also expose the central agencies and their officers Let them take action against merdquo he saidState Congress president Nana Patole said his party supported Malik in this fightState BJP president Chandrakant Patil demanded from the CM that Malik be sacked ldquoElse we have to stage a protestrdquo he said adding that the two ministers have already quit and the illegal bungalows of some ministers were demolishedBJP legislator Ashish Shelar addressed a press conference to counter MVArsquos charges ldquoWhy are MVA parties putting pressure on the agencies when they are investigating a matter of national interest Nawab benaqaab ho gaya Nawab Malik is exposedrdquo he said adding that the party has been compelled to explain because it was being dragged into the case time and againFadnavis saysFormer CM Devendra Fadnavis said he had sent all documents to the Central agencies ldquoI had said then in November that I will submit the documents for inquiry The agencies have found the ministerrsquos link with Dawood his sister and associates including his frontmanrdquo he said adding that the ED has submitted every finding to the court along with statements of people who are already in jailHe said to defend Malik in a case which relates to terror funding through real estate business was condemnableldquoThere should be no politics by the MVA The government should welcome the action Dawood is the countryrsquos enemy It should be noted that after the land deal involving Malikrsquos company more bomb blasts were executedrdquo He said the NIA has established the underworldrsquos money laundering reaching Malik ldquoThe money was used to funding terror activities The ministerrsquos staying in the office will send out the wrong signal rdquo he said He said the owner of the land was not given any money but pressurised to give power of attorney to remove encroachment from the site