BJP stages protest ahead of Maharashtra budget session; seeks minister Nawab Malik's removal

BJP legislators staging a protest outside Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Ahead of the Maharashtra legislature's budget session, BJP legislators staged a protest on steps of the Vidhan Bhavan against the state government's decision not to remove minister Nawab Malik from his post.

Last week, the Enforcement Directorate arrested state Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. On Thursday, BJP legislators, led by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, LoP in the Legislative Council Pravin Darekar and state BJP president Chandrakant Patil shouted slogans against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.

"This MVA government is sympathetic towards those who helped Dawood and his aides, convicted in the (1993) Mumbai bomb blasts. We condemn the decision to retain Malik as minister when there has been a precedent to remove a minister arrested under some charges," Fadnavis said. The state legislature's budget session starting Thursday will conclude on March 25.

The opposition BJP in Maharashtra has said it wants the current session to be fruitful and wants to discuss many issues, provided the MVA government sacks Malik. The MVA leaders have countered the BJP, claiming the saffron party was using central agencies to target the state government.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.