No Question of Nawab Malik's Resignation As He Hasn't Done Any Wrong: NCP Leader Chhagan Bhujbal

He also condemned Malik's arrest and said that his party colleague is being targeted as he openly speaks against the Centre for misuse of power

No Question of Nawab Malik's Resignation As He Hasn't Done Any Wrong, Says NCP Leader Chhagan Bhujbal (File Image)

New Delhi: Dismissing the allegations levelled against Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik, his cabinet colleague and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Wednesday said that there was no question of taking Malik’s resignation since he hasn’t committed anything wrong.   

Speaking to reporters close to news agency PTI, Bhujbal said that the allegations against the Minority Affairs Minister, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case, have not been proved yet, adding there is no question of taking his resignation.    

He also condemned Malik's arrest and said that his party colleague is being targeted as he openly speaks against the Centre for misuse of power. He added that the ministers in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government will stage an agitation over the action against Malik on Thursday morning.

The MVA government consists of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress.

Meanwhile, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader and State Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat spoke to Maharashtra AICC secretary in-charge of Maharashtra, HK Patil, and apprised him about the political developments in the state in the backdrop of Malik's arrest.

Thorat also met NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to discuss the political aftermath of the ED action against Malik.

It is to be noted that Malik is the first serving minister in the state to have been arrested in a money laundering case.

Earlier, Bhujbal and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh were arrested in separate money laundering cases. However, they were not members of the cabinet at that time.

Bhujbal was arrested by the ED in March 2016 and at that time he was not a minister, while Deshmukh was taken into custody by the central agency in November last year.

Deshmukh, an NCP leader, had resigned from the state cabinet in April 2021.