Malik’s arrest by ED in line with rules, issue shouldn’t be politicised: Fadnavis

PTI, Feb 24, 2022, 8:17 AM IST

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) move of arresting Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik was done in line with the rules and the issue should not be politicised.

He also accused Malik of indulging in land dealings with 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case accused and said its proceeds were used for terror funding in India.

Malik was arrested in Mumbai on Wednesday by the ED after being questioned by it in a money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. Talking to reporters over Malik’s arrest, Fadnavis said, ”This is a very serious issue. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the ED in their recent operations found a link about Dawood Ibrahim’s terror funding in India through real estate dealings and such deal are being done via money laundering. The ED told the court today that it conducted searches at nine places, in which many links have come to light which establish a link towards Malik.” The former Maharashtra chief minister alleged that the land purchased by Malik is of bomb blast accused Sardar Shahwali Khan and Sardar Patel, the right hand man and driver of (Dawood’s late sister) Haseena Parker, he said. The BJP leader sought to know why a minister purchased a land from the Mumbai blast accused and indulged in land dealings with Parker. ”I think the action taken by ED is as per rules where the terror funding angle is very clearly established,” said Fadnavis. All political parties should condemn the land dealings that have underworld connections and they should not do politics on this serious issue, he added.

Fadnavis also said that in the coming few days, he would reveal how the Maharashtra government is planning a conspiracy to create false witnesses to frame political leaders.

He said this in response to a query on SP leader Akhilesh Yadav’s allegation that the BJP creates false witnesses and levels false allegations.

”In few days, I will be revealing how the Maharashtra government is planning a conspiracy to create false witnesses to frame leaders ,” he said.

Over the BJP seeking Malik’s resignation following his arrest, Fadnavis said, ”If the government has taken a stance that the minister will not resign, then I feel very sad that the level of politics will fall to such low levels as it would create a very bad precedent.”