Following that, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded that they remove Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik from his position.
His Cabinet co-worker and the senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Wednesday (February 23) declared that there was no issue with Malik’s resignation.
Bhujbal added that the allegations against Minister for Minority Affairs Malik are not proven as of yet.
READ MORE: Minister Nawab Malik Arrested
Malik was, a vocal opponent of the BJP, was detained at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) earlier this morning in connection with a money-laundering investigation.
“There is no need for absolving him as the fact is that he (Malik) did not commit any crime,” PTI quoted Bhujbal as declaring.
The NCP minister has claimed that Malik is being targeted since he has been openly speaking out against the Centre in protest of “misuse in the exercise of power.”
“Nawab Malik was detained in a wrong way. He was penalized for attacking the Opposition. The Opposition will continue to fight justice. They (Centre) exert the pressure on ministers to bring down the government.” said the journalist.
Bhujbal confirmed that the ministers of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government comprised of Shiv Sena and Congress, the NCP, and the Congress would protest against the move to defy Malik on Thursday, the morning of.
Nawab Malik’s resignation must not be taken for granted. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut added Malik’s resignation shouldn’t be accepted.
On Twitter, Raut wrote in Marathi, “As they cannot combat face-to-face with Malik and the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the Maha Vikas Aghadi, they are attacking from behind as Afzal Khan. They should be celebrating the detention of one minister through deceit. We will continue to fight and prevail. Kansa, as well as Ravana, have also been killed. This is a Hindutva. The battle is just beginning. Jai Maharashtra.”
Maharashtra BJP Chief Chandrakant Patil threatened to hold protests in a letter to Malik.
“Nawab Malik has been detained. He should be released immediately. We are demanding his resignation. If he doesn’t, then we will demonstrate. How do they run the government? There’s a long list of accusations against Maharashtra Ministers. They will soon become bored with it.” Patil was quoted as declaring by ANI.
However, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee called NCP chief Sharad Pawar and offered her support following his arrest at Nawab Malik ED.
The court of the Special PMLA judge in Mumbai today has sent Malik in Enforcement Directorate custody till March 3 in connection with a probe into money laundering connected to the activities carried out by the underground and Dawood Ibrahim, a fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
