"The Maharashtra government is completely standing with Nawab Malik," Sanjay Raut said
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said the Maharashtra government is fully standing with minister Nawab Malik, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, and attacked the Centre for taking such steps to "defame" the government.
"The BJP government at the Centre has become furious after being ousted from power (in Maharashtra) and is taking such steps to defame the state government," he told the media during an interaction after a public meeting here.
"Nawab Malik is a minister and will remain a minister. The BJP is not God, let them do whatever they want. We will answer it at every level," Mr Raut said. "The Maharashtra government is completely standing with Nawab Malik".
NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Malik was arrested on Wednesday in a money laundering case in Mumbai after being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate and was later produced before a special court, which remanded him in the ED custody till March 3.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress are constituents of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra.
Earlier, Mr Raut addressed an election rally with Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Aditya Thackeray in support of party candidate Shailedra alias Raju Shrivastava in Dumariaganj.
Mr Thackeray and Mr Raut, who came from Mumbai for the first time to address any public meeting in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, appeared excited to see the impressive turnout at the rally.
Addressing the rally held at the Girls Inter College grounds in Dumariaganj, Raut made a scathing attack on the BJP while describing Shiv Sena as "a Hindutva and nationalist party in the true sense" and talked about the politics of religious harmony in the state.
Mr Thackeray, grandson of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, in his address talked of change in Uttar Pradesh after this election.
He said seven years of the BJP government at the Centre and five-year Yogi Adityanath government's rule has "divided people into many camps by doing politics of religion".
Aditya Thackeray, son of Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, said his party does the politics of unity to strengthen the country. He added that any government in Uttar Pradesh this time will be formed "only with the cooperation of Shiv Sena".
Mr Raut exuded confidence that the Shiv Sena will register a "good victory" in Uttar Pradesh this time, saying the "crowd here is the proof".
Speaking to the media, Aditya Thackeray expressed the hope of opening the account of Shiv Sena in the state this time and said his party is winning the Dumariaganj seat.
To a question that which party will Shiv Sena support after winning the election, he said his party will stand with any party that works for the development of the country.