Congress demands probe into Fadnavis & Malik's allegations of underworld links, corruption

An ugly war of words has broken out between Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, with both sides accusing each other of having links with the underworld and engaging in corruption. As the blame game between the NCP and BJP continues, Congress has demanded an investigation into the allegations made by both Fadnavis and Nawab Malik.

Maharashtra Congress Chief Nana Patole has demanded that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray order a probe into the allegations made by both Fadnavis and Nawab Malik on each other about illicit currency and underworld connections. He says both allegations are serious in nature, bringing shame to the state.

The call for a probe comes despite the fact that Congress is in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. However, fissures within the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi have been evident, as the Congress has decided to go solo in the upcoming by-polls as well as the next assembly elections.

The NCP was recently embroiled in controversy after BJP leader and former CM Devendra Fadnavis levelled grave charges against Nawab Malik, accusing his family of buying lands at cheaper rates from two persons closely linked to Dawood Ibrahim.

Devendra Fadnavis vs Nawab Malik

Fadnavis alleged that Nawab Malik's son Faraz Malik had struck a property deal with one Salim Patel, who was the "frontman" and bodyguard of Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parker. He further claimed that Faraz Malik, during his father's tenure as minister in 2005, had bought a 2.8-acre land owned by Sardar Shah Wali Khan - a convict of the 1993 Mumbai blast case. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the BJP leader presented "proof" of Nawab Malik's connection with the 'D-gang'.

However, Malik has denied having any association with the "underworld" and claimed that the latter was levelling such a charge as he wanted to "save" NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede. The Maharashtra Minister has already accused Sameer Wankhede of registering fake cases in order to extort money from people and creating a fake caste certificate to become an IRS officer. 

Adding to his defence of the land transaction with Haseena Parkar's driver and bodyguard Salim Patel and 1993 bomb blasts convict Sardar Shah Wali Khan, Nawab Malik said, "In 2005, I was not a Minister. You raised a question about his video with RR Patil going viral. That video went viral after we purchased the property from Munira Plumber. Salim Patel filed a defamation suit against those newspapers and channels that alleged his connection with Dawood Ibrahim. As per my information, Salim Patel passed away 5 months ago".

He also highlighted that Khan was not a convict in 2005 when the deal took place. Hitting back at the BJP leader, Nawab Malik accused Devendra Fadnavis of appointing alleged criminals to government positions. The NCP Minister further claimed that no case of fake currency notes was registered in Maharashtra until October 8, 2017, nearly one year after demonetisation. 

"This was because the circulation of fake currency was taking place in Maharashtra under Fadnavis Ji's protection. On October 8, 2017, the Director of Intelligence Revenue conducted raids in BKC in which fake currency notes worth Rs.14.56 crore were seized. Fadnavis even helped in muzzling the matter. The nexus of fake currency notes is operated by Pakistan, ISI, Dawood via Bangladesh," Malik alleged.