Amid an escalating war of words between Maharashtra's Maha Vikas Agadhi government and the Centre, the state's minister Nawab Malik was taken to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office this morning for questioning. The central probe agency's officials reached the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader's home at 6 am where he was questioned for an hour. He was then brought to the ED office at 7:30 am and is being questioned there since 8:30 am.
The 62-year-old Minister has been summoned by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to the activities of the Mumbai underworld, fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides, officials told news agency PTI. The agency is recording his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Nawab Malik's office confirmed the development in a tweet from its official Twitter account.
"Today morning the ED had come to @nawabmalikncp saheb's residence. They accompanied saheb in his vehicle to the ED office. Advocate Amir Malik, Saheb's son has accompanied saheb along with," it said.
NCP workers protested near the party's headquarters, located close to the ED office in south Mumbai, and shouted slogans slamming the BJP-led central government and the probe agency.
The workers were seen heading towards the ED's office but were stopped by police personnel near the party's office. They then did a sit-in protest.
"The protest is against the unjust questioning of Nawab Malik as he was exposing the BJP+NCB+CBI+ED nexus on a daily basis. We will not be cowed down. NCP will keep exposing BJP and all central agencies," party spokesperson Sanjay Tatkare said.
Reacting to Mr Malik's questioning, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut has again accused the central agencies of being politically motivated. In a subtle warning to the BJP, Mr Raut also said that he is going to "expose" several officials involved in corruption "no matter what the cost".
"Nawab Malik was bringing out the truth. Whoever speaks against them (the BJP) has the CBI and ED unleashed after them. ED has taken him in the morning. Let them investigate, we hope he will be back home by evening," he said.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar echoed the Sena MP's charge that those who speak against the Centre and its probe agencies are targeted. "We knew Nawab Malik would be targeted in this manner when he had attacked the Centre. I don't know about the case against him but Dawood's name has always been invoked to try to defame rivals," he said.
Mr Pawar claimed that he was also accused of having ties with the underworld when he was the state's Chief Minister. "25 years later, the same trick is being used to harass and defame," he added.
The BJP has rubbished allegations of political vendetta and accused Mr Malik of buying land from gangster Dawood Ibrahim's aide. BJP MLA from Mumbai's Ghatkopar West Ram Kadam said in a video statement that this is not about a party or an individual.
Maharashtra government's minister bought land from Dawood's dreaded gang member, he alleged and added that since the land was about to get seized by the government, the minister bought it at nominal rates from a bomb blast accused.
"When all documents are out and the ED acts on them, the Maharashtra government and its minister says that the action is an act of revenge. Dawood brutally killed thousands in bomb blasts...the gang member from who the land was bought is accused in the blasts...can a nationalist buy his property?" he said.
Two weeks back, Mr Malik had hit out at the Centre for trying to topple the state government and said the Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and Shiv Sena will not only continue to govern Maharashtra but will also come to power at the Centre by dislodging the BJP.
"It is their (of the BJP) illusion that we will get scared. No matter how much they try, the (state) government will complete five years. This government will run for 25 years. We will be in power in the state, and we will also attain power at the Centre," Mr Malik had claimed.
The three parties formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra following the 2019 assembly polls, after the Shiv Sena snapped ties with long-term ally BJP over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post.
Mr Malik's comments came following sensational claims by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu alleging that the Enforcement Directorate has been harassing him and his family after he refused to help in toppling the Maharashtra government. He said that the ED and other investigating agency officials "are now reduced to puppets of their political masters" and added that the officials have even admitted that they have been "asked by their 'bosses' to 'fix' me."
Nawab Malik too has been repeatedly attacking central enforcement agencies, accusing them of harassing and intimidating opposition leaders at the behest of the BJP-led union government.
He had recently made headlines for attacking the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede accusing him of several service-related wrongdoings after the anti-drugs officer led the raid on a cruise ship on Mumbai's shore in October last year and arrested 20 people including superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan.
Mr Malik's son-in-law Sameer Khan was also arrested in a drugs case by the NCB's Mumbai unit last year.
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