NCP's Nawab Malik hits out at Fadnavis

Cabinet Minister in the Maharashtra government Nawab Malik on Monday fired yet another salvo against former CM and Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis. The Nationalist Congress Party leader alleged that Fadnavis is a mastermind of the drug industry in the state.

Mumbai: The NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik on Monday levelled serious allegations against former chief minister and leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, saying that the latter is the mastermind of the drug industry in the state.

Malik further demanded that the involvement of Fadnavis in the drug case should be investigated by the CBI.

Tweet by NCP leader Nawab Malik

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The NCP minister even went on to say that one Niraj Gunde is working for Devendra Fadnavis and that he had posted a photo of Jaideep Rana, a drug peddler, on Twitter. A person named Verma had given all the information about Rana, Malik added.

Further, Malik also alleged that many people in the BJP were drug peddlers and that a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court to stop him from speaking up.

Tweet by NCP leader Nawab Malik

Jaideep Rana is in jail and was arrested for drug trafficking, Malik said, adding that when Devendra Fadnavis was the Chief Minister, his wife Amrita had sung a song for river conservation which was financed by Jaideep Rana.

Tweet by NCP leader Nawab Malik

Devendra Fadnavis, however, said Malik's tweet reflected his mentality and claimed that he will burst a bomb after Diwali by making revelations about the minister's underworld links, which he will also share with NCP president Sharad Pawar. The former CM said he and his wife were associated with the cause of river rejuvenation.

The pictures were clicked during the shooting of a theme song. There are photos along with the team, not only with my wife, but also with me. But, Nawab Malik consciously shared the photograph of my wife. This reflects his mentality, the leader of opposition in the state Assembly said.

Those people who have been photographed were brought by the 'River March' (organisation). There are no links of these people with me or my wife. he said.

Amruta Fadnavis, a banker by profession who also released her singing album in the past, has been a vocal critic of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi in the state (comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress), and has often taken to Twitter to launch attacks on the state government.

"The cracker just before the Diwali was a damp squib and it gives an impression that Malik has made some big revelation, Devendra Fadnavis said, referring to the photograph of his wife with the alleged drug peddler.

I don't stay in a house of glass, and those having links with the underworld and drugs should not talk to me. I will furnish all the proof after Diwali. Law will take its own course, the senior BJP leader said.

Devendra Fadnavis also said Malik's attack on the NCB is an attempt to put pressure on officials of the anti-drugs agency so that the case against the NCP leader's son-in-law is weakened.

Malik's son-in-law Sameer Khan was arrested by the NCB earlier this year in a drugs case and was later granted bail by a court.

Devendra Fadnavis said Malik referred to the BJP's drug connection.

He said if one goes by that logic, then the entire NCP can be termed as a drug mafia, as Malik's son-in-law was arrested by the NCB in an alleged drugs case, but he would not label the Sharad Pawar-led party with such terms.

If a photo of an unrelated man (alleged drug peddler) surfaces and makes one a drug mafia, then what should one call a party when drug is seized, the BJP leader said, referring to the arrest of Sameer Khan by the NCB.

(With agency inputs)

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