NCP, Sena, Cong slam Centre for ‘misusing’ ED, which had served notice on Sharad Pawar ahead of 2019 state polls only to take it back
Nawab Malik outside the ED office on Wednesday night. Pic/Bipin Kokate
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 BJP’s demand for Malik’s resignation and vowed to fight the Centre’s in the streets. Pawar said Malik speaks openly against the Centre or the BJP. “Which 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 relation,” he said.
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The BJP demanded Malik’s resignation and said MVA was running away from facts and defending the accused minister’s “anti-national” acts and links with terrorists. Malik had resigned from the cabinet in 2005 following an inquiry into corruption charges made by social activist Anna Hazare.
Ahead of the 2019 Assembly polls, the ED had served Pawar a notice which was withdrawn after a massive protest in Mumbai and the rest of the state.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 NCP’s 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 CM.
‘Names taken to defame’
“I was targeted similarly when I was the chief minister of Maharashtra and an atmosphere created against me. Twenty-five 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 here,” Pawar said.
Later 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 “deminic pleasure’.
Malik is Maha Vikas Aghadi’s 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 ED’s custody on money laundering charges. Malik is also arrested for alleged money laundering.
ED a pawn: Memon
At the party’s official press conference, NCP leader and lawyer Majid Memon urged the agency officers to not play pawns in the hands of their political masters. “Be slaves of the constitution. Don’t become a victim. Don’t do anything that you will be ashamed of in the future,” he said, adding that the officers may have the power but they should refrain from using it to the extent of abuse.
The former MP wondered why Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had to say on Wednesday the ED doesn’t work illegally in the matters of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. “It is not right to dig out a 17-year-old case even when the minister is not involved. The court will also ask what they were doing till now.”
Memom alleged that the action was prompted by ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis’s ‘baseless accusations’. “Fadnavis never loses an opportunity to disturb the MVA government,” he said, wondering why the allegations made in November last were not probed immediately.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said such actions will continue till 2024. “After that it will be us and them. Truth prevails. We don’t get scared. BJP’s mahatma Kirit Somaiya had given evidence against the leaders who are in BJP now, but the ED acts only against the MVA and anti-BJP 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 me,” he said.
State Congress president Nana Patole said his party supported Malik in this fight.
State BJP president Chandrakant Patil demanded from the CM that Malik be sacked. “Else we have to stage a protest,” he said, adding that the two ministers have already quit and the illegal bungalows of some ministers were demolished.
BJP legislator Ashish Shelar addressed a press conference to counter MVA’s charges. “Why are MVA parties putting pressure on the agencies when they are investigating a matter of national interest? Nawab benaqaab ho gaya [Nawab Malik is exposed],” he said, adding that the party has been compelled to explain because it was being dragged into the case time and again.
Fadnavis says
Former CM Devendra Fadnavis said he had sent all documents to the Central agencies. “I had said then [in November] that I will submit the documents for inquiry. The agencies have found the minister’s link with Dawood, his sister and associates, including his frontman,” he said, adding that the ED has submitted every finding to the court, along with statements of people who are already in jail.He said to defend Malik in a case which relates to terror funding through real estate business was condemnable.
“There should be no politics by the MVA. The government should welcome the action. Dawood is the country’s enemy. It should be noted that after the land deal [involving Malik’s company] more bomb blasts were executed.” He said the NIA has established the underworld’s money laundering reaching Malik. “The money was used to funding terror activities. The minister’s staying in the office will send out the wrong signal ,” 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.
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