The Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday decided to give away the responsibilities of Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik to different people amid his arrest in the Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case. However, the party has said that Malik will not tender his resignation and will continue to be the Minister.
Maharashtra Minister and NCP leader Jayant Patil commented on the issue and said, “Malik will continue to be a Minister. We’re not taking his resignation. Since he has been arrested, he hasn’t been able to carry out his duties so his responsibilities will be temporarily given to different people”. “Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will be informed about the decision and he will take the final call in this regard”, he added.
He’ll continue to be (a Minister). We’re not taking his resignation. Since he has been arrested he hasn’t been able to carry out his duties so his responsibilities will be temporarily given to different people: Maharashtra Minister & NCP leader Jayant Patil on Nawab Malik (17.03) pic.twitter.com/8TA5X2JihQ
— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2022
This is a day after NCP chief Sharad Pawar held a meeting with the party’s senior leaders at his Mumbai residence. The meeting was held to discuss the case of Nawab Malik and his Ministerial position in the state government.
Nawab Malik at present serves as the minority affairs minister and skill development minister in the MVA-led Maharashtra government. According to the reports, two working presidents will be appointed by the party for its Mumbai unit which is also currently headed by Malik. The meeting which was attended by Dy CM Ajit Pawar, Ministers Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, Dilip Walse Patil, and senior leaders Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare supported the party’s decision to keep Nawab Malik as a Minister.
Malik arrested in money laundering case, opposition demands resignation
On February 23, Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik was arrested by the ED for his alleged links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Since then, the opposition party in the state has been demanding his resignation. BJP’s Chandrakant Patil and Devendra Fadnavis had demanded Malik’s resignation on the day the Maharahstra’s Budget Session began and had said that the party would not allow the legislature to function until Malik resigned.
Fadnavis had also slammed the MVA led govt and had stated that the state government was dedicated to terrorist and gangster Dawood Ibrahim. “For the first time in Maharashtra, a minister is behind bars but his resignation hasn’t been taken. This government is coming together to save people who keep relations with Dawood. That’s why we have started protests and we demand that his resignation be taken immediately”, he had said. Last week, on March 9, Former CM Fadnavis and other BJP leaders had staged protests at the Azad Maidan, Mumbai demanding the resignation of State Minister Nawab Malik. They were then detained by the Mumbai Police amid protests and were taken to the Yellow Gate Police Station.
Earlier in November 2021 too, Fadnavis had exposed Malik and said that he and his family had bought land parcels from people linked with the underworld. The ED in the investigation process happened to learn that Malik had purchased land at Kurla in the year 2005 from Haseena Parkar at a lower price bid. The sale deed was deliberately made to look like the cost of the land was lower when the practical cost transacted was much higher. The balance amount was satisfied in cash by son Faraz Malik.
LIVE Speaking at @BJP4Mumbai’s massive protest #NawabHataoDeshBachao at Azad Maidan, Mumbai !#Mumbai #Maharashtra #AzadMaidan https://t.co/ZU4diU8EJt
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) March 9, 2022
It is important to note that the MVA govt and the National Congress Party (NCP) have been supporting Malik since the beginning of the case. The alliance has cleared that they had no intentions to make him resign from the Ministry. On March 2, the NCP had toughened its stand in the case and had affirmed that Malik would continue to be the Minister.
At present, Malik’s son Faraz has failed to appear before the ED for the second consecutive time. The agency had on Tuesday summoned him for questioning in connection with Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case. According to the reports, Faraz will soon be sent a third summon asking him to appear for questioning. ED wants to question him about the deals and payments regarding Goawala Building in Kurla, Mumbai.
The case is under investigation by the ED who is tracing all the linkages of illegal money transfers, land purchases, and involvement of NCP’s Nawab Malik in the Dawood Ibrahim case.
