Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, along with ministers of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), launched a protest in Mumbai on Thursday, 24 February, against the arrest of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik in a money laundering case, reported PTI.
Malik will be in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till 3 March.
Other leaders who have joined Pawar in the protest include state Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil, Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat, NCP MP Supriya Sule, and State Women’s Commission Chairperson Rupali Chakankar.
Jayant Patil, state NCP chief, said that the allegations against Malik were "baseless", while Revenue Minister Thorat claimed that the ED was being used to silence political opponents.
Patil said that the BJP's move to "overthrow the MVA government" would not be successful. "The action against a serving cabinet minister is part of such a move," he claimed.
'My Father Speaks Fearlessly': Nilofer Malik
Meanwhile, Nilofer Malik, daughter of Nawab Malik, alleged that her father was targeted because he speaks "fearlessly", reported news agency ANI.
She said,
"We've been hearing for the last 2-3 months that ED will come and our father (Nawab Malik) told us to be careful but we have done everything right. My father speaks fearlessly that's why ED and NCB are behind us."
She said that she was confident that Malik would be released soon. "I am sure my father will come out, this is a judicial battle and we will fight. Every Muslim who has been in public like activist is linked by some to D-company which is very unfair to us as Muslims."
(With inputs from PTI, ANI.)
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