Maharashtra BJP to hold state-wide protest today to demand resignation of Nawab Malik

Maharashtra BJP will hold a state-wide protest on Thursday to demand the resignation of state Minister and NCP leader Nawab Malik.

Malik has been remanded to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till March 3 in a money laundering case.

Commenting on it, Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis alleged that Nawab Malik purchased land worth crores with the help of the underworld.

"After a detailed investigation in this matter, the ED court has sentenced him (Nawab Malik) to ED custody until March 3. If politicians will be in direct contact with the underworld, then ED will have to do such investigations. All political parties should support this," he said.

Further, he claimed that terror funding of Dawood Ibrahim was done inside India through such deals.

Taking a jibe at Malik, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said, "Nawab benaqaab ho gaya (Nawab Malik is exposed)" and questioned the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

"When the central investigating agencies are investigating the matter in the interest of the nation, why are the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party, instead of taking the legal route, indulging in pressurising these agencies? Why are they defaming them?" he asked.

BJP leader Kirit Somaiya took a dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and in a tweet said, "It seems Thackeray Sarkar decided to allow #NawabMalik to attend Cabinet Meetings from Jail may be 'Virtually'." The Special PMLA court in Mumbai on Wednesday sent Nawab Malik to Enforcement Directorate custody till March 3 in connection with Dawood Ibrahim's money laundering case.

Last week, the ED on Tuesday conducted raids at the residence of Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar in Mumbai in connection with the money laundering case.

Searches were carried out by the ED at several places linked to people associated with the underworld in Mumbai, informed sources said on Tuesday.

The ED had also conducted searches at 10 different locations related to late Haseena Parkar, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, in Nagpada.

The agency had also questioned Dawood's nephew and Parkar's son Alishah Parkar and Chota Shakeel's henchman Salim Qureshi aka Salim Fruits