New Delhi: The Maharashtra BJP will hold a state-wide protest on Thursday to demand the resignation of NCP leader and Maharashtra State Minister Nawab Malik following his arrest in a money laundering case.
"Nawab Malik has been arrested, he should resign now. We demand his resignation. If he doesn't, we will protest. How are they running the government? There's a long list of allegations against Maharashtra Ministers, will get tired reading it,” said Maharashtra BJP Chief Chandrakant Patil.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and its allies Congress and Shiv Sena have come out in Malik's defence and ruled out his resignation.
Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal said there was no question of Malik's resignation since he did not commit any wrong and nothing had been proved yet.
Condemning Malik's arrest, Bhujbal said his party colleague was being targeted as he openly speaks against the Centre for "misuse of power".
The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested Nationalist Congress Party leader Nawab Malik in connection with a money laundering case linked to the activities of gangster Dawood Ibrahim. A special court sent Malik to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till March 3.
The ED arrested the NCP leader after he was questioned for about six hours at the agnecy's office in south Mumbai's Ballard Estate area.
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After Nawab Malik was arrested, he told the media, "We will fight and we will win. Will expose all." ED officials said Malik was arrested as he was "evasive" in his replies, PTI reported.
Malik was under ED lens over alleged links to some property deals with those convicted for the 1993 Mumbai blasts, including mastermind Dawood Ibrahim.
In its remand application, the ED told the court that Nawab Malik was "actively" involved in terror funding.