New Delhi: Launching a vitriolic attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for demanding the resignation of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Nawab Malik, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asked whether the saffron party will now contest the polls in underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s name.
Malik, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in an alleged money-laundering case linked to Ibrahim, is presently in judicial custody.
“Where is Dawood? Does anyone know where is he? You fought last elections in the name of Ram Mandir. Now, are you going to ask for votes in the name of Dawood?” asked Thackeray in the Maharashtra Assembly, ANI reported.
“Did Obama ask for votes in the name of Laden? If you have guts then kill Dawood, will you?” he added.
Thackeray also took a jibe at Leader of Opposition and former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
“If Nawab Malik had a connection with Dawood Ibrahim for years, what were the central agencies doing for so many years?” he asked.
Asserting the “matter is in court”, Thackeray said: “I think LoP Fadnavis must be recruited by the ED (Enforcement Directorate) as he gave all the documents to the ED as he said somewhere.”
Questioning the BJP for repeatedly demanding Malik’s resignation, Thackeray said: “You ask for the resignation of Nawab Malik. Tell me first, why did you support Mehbooba Mufti who had sympathy for Afzal Guru and Burhan Wani.”
The Maharashtra Chief Minister also lambasted the BJP for harassing the family members of the Opposition leaders in the form of raids by the probe agencies.
“If you want to come to power, then come to power. But don't do all these vicious things to come to power,” said Thackeray.
“Don't harass our or anyone else's family members. We never bothered your family members,” he added.
Continuing his outburst against the BJP, Thackeray said: “It is not that we are saying that your families have done something wrong or that they have something that we can trouble you about.”
“If you want to put us in jail to come to power, put me in jail,” he added.
Thackeray’s remarks came three days after the Enforcement Directorate attached immovable properties worth Rs 6.54 crore belonging to his brother-in-law Shridhar Madhav Patankar in a money laundering case.