Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday alleged that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was devoted to fugitive gangster and key conspirator in the 1993 serial bomb blasts in Mumbai Dawood Ibrahim. Fadnavis claimed that there were enough documents to prove state minister Nawab Malik's links with Dawood. He added that the BJP will not let the budget session function till Malik is removed from the cabinet.
BJP, which has been demanding Malik’s resignation after his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case, on the inaugural day of the four-week budget session today shouting slogans and targeted the MVA government for allegedly shielding the minister.
‘’The government is overtly sympathetic to the people who attacked Mumbai. I wonder if the Shiv Sena, despite being in power, is going soft on those who entered into some land deal with the Mumbai blasts accused,’’ said Fadnavis asking the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to break his silence on this issue.
However, NCP has shot back claiming that Fadnavis’ statement was a direct insult to 11 crore citizens of Maharashtra. NCP Spokesman Mahesh Tapase recalled that when Fadnavis was the state CM his minister Girish Mahajan was seen attending the marriage function of Dawood Ibrahim’s close relative at Nashik. He said Fadnavis should explain why he did not take any action against Mahajan and resign when Nashik CP had instituted an internal probe.
‘’The MVA government comprising Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress are committed to the welfare of the people of Maharashtra. Time and again senior leaders of the BJP tried to malign the image of MVA leaders which we have unitedly defended,’’ said Tapase.
