India's federally ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which forms the main opposition in the state of Maharashtra, has intensified its protest against state minister Nawab Malik on Wednesday by staging a protest march from Jeejamata Chowk in the area of Byculla to Azad Maidan in Mumbai city.
Under the guidance of former state chief, Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP is demanding that Malik - the state's minister for minority affairs - resign because of his alleged links with global terrorist and fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
While talking to the media during the protest march, Fadnavis claimed that Malik is linked with land deals involving close aides of the gangster Ibrahim.
He said: “We are not looking for the minister to be sacked to satisfy our ego; rather it is a necessary step so that Maharashtra can send out a strong message that the state does not tolerate such activities. Removing the minister from the state cabinet is important for the satisfaction of the people of the state.”
The party has been protesting since 3 March, the first day of the state legislative assembly's present Budget Session.
Fadnavis, as well as other BJP politicians, were, meanwhile, detained by the state police during the protest march.
Other detained BJP politicians included: Maharashtra BJP unit chief Chandrakant Patil; opposition leader in the legislative council, Pravin Darekar; former finance minister, Sudhir Mungantiwar; former energy minister, Chandrashekhar Bawankule; Nitesh Narayan Rane; Ashish Shelar; Kirit Somaiya; Mohit Bharatiya; and Prasad Lad.
Devendra Fadnavis, Several BJP Politicians Detained in Maharashtra During Protest March
© Photo : Twitter/@Devendra_Office
Fadnavis also shared a video where he can be seen with other BJP politicians being taken to the Yellow Gate Police Station in Mumbai.
Case Against Nawab Malik
Nawab Malik was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on 23 February in connection with a money-laundering case concerning a land deal involving the relations of gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
The ED had said it was investigating a land deal in which Malik bought a INR33 million ($430,930) property for INR5 million ($65,292) from Salim Patel, an aide of Dawood Ibrahim’s late sister, Haseena Parkar.
The deal allegedly involved two people - Sardar Shahwali Khan, who was convicted in the Mumbai bomb blasts case of 12 March 1993 in which 257 died, and Patel.
A special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court on Monday sentenced Malik to judicial custody for 14 days, while noting that witness statements show prima facie that the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had been involved in money-laundering.
Malik on Tuesday urged the Bombay High Court to postpone his arrest by the ED, claiming it violated his fundamental right to life and liberty.