Mumbai:The president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Sharad Pawar has called an emergency meeting of party leaders at his residence today following the arrest of party leader and state minority affairs minister Nawab Malik by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case linked to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Source told ETV Bharat that Pawar has called in the meeting which is to be attended by key party leaders including Rajesh Tope, Chhagan Bhujbal and Ajit Pawar. ED arrested Malik after hours of grilling at the agency office in Mumbai after he was picked up from his home in the morning.
The NCP meeting, sources said, is going to decide about the future course of action and how the party intends to defend Malik. The NCP, sources said, will throw all the weight behind Malik. According to reports, after the meeting at Pawar's residence, another meeting between him, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and home minister Dilip Walse-Patil is going to take place at Thackeray's residence later today.
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil meanwhile has demanded Malik's resignation. "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 govt? There's a long list of allegations against Maharashtra Ministers, will get tired reading it," Patil said.
Earlier today, Pawar had said that Malik was being troubled because he spoke against the Union government and "misuse" of central probe agencies. Speaking to reporters, Pawar said the NCP had anticipated such an action against party leader Nawab Malik since he "speaks openly". To a question on whether the action against Malik was being taken as he speaks against the Centre or the BJP, Pawar said, "Which case have they dug up? It is simple. They take the name of Dawood, especially if there is a Muslim activist (against whom a case is dug up). There is no relation (between the activist concerned and underworld), but it is done," Pawar recalled that he too was "targeted similarly" in the early 90s when he was the chief minister of Maharashtra and an atmosphere was created against him.
"Twenty-five years have passed since then. Similarly, names (of underworld) are being taken to defame people, trouble them and misuse the power people who take positions against the Centre or the misuse of probe agencies are being troubled and this is what has happened here," the NCP president said.
READ:Nawab Malik arrested by ED for possible Dawood link, tells court he was made to sign summon copy at agency office
