Attacking the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP Manoj Kotak on Wednesday alleged that the state government is being run by underworld fugitive Dawood Ibrahim.
"Dawood Ibrahim is running this Mahamafia Aghadi government and this government has the support of Dawood. This government is being run by Dawood Ibrahim sitting in Pakistan," said Kotak while addressing the people of the BJP front.
Earlier, in the day, Mumbai police detained BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and other leaders of the party as they were carrying out a protest march demanding the resignation of state minister Nawab Malik.
The BJP leaders were released from the yellow gate police station.
"We will not sit silently until the Nawab Malik, who is in jail, the government should accept his resignation, this is not a political one, he is an accused, and his resignation should be taken. Till this government does not take resignation, our protest against the government will continue. The money that Haseena Parkar earned from the people was said to have been used for the bomb blast," Fadnavise said during the protest.
Currently, the NCP leader and state minister Nawab Malik is in judicial custody in connection with the Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case.
Fadnavis pressed for the sacking of Malik in the ongoing Budget session of the Maharashtra Assembly amidst the BJP MLAs raising slogans against the state government. The House was adjourned for 30 minutes as the BJP MLAs continued protesting in the Assembly.
Malik on Monday arrived at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai after a Special PMLA court sentenced him to 14-day judicial custody till March 21 in connection with the Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case.
Earlier in February, the ED conducted raids at the residence of Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar in Mumbai in connection with the money laundering case.
Searches were carried out by the ED at several places linked to people associated with the underworld in Mumbai, informed sources said.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded the resignation of Malik but the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MV), comprising Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP, has rejected the demand.
( With inputs from ANI )
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