MUMBAI: The BJP-led Centre should first bring Dawood Ibrahim from Pakistan, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said on Sunday, while reacting to the recent remarks of the special PMLA court on NCP’s Nawab Malik’s links to the 1993 serial blasts accused.
“Just as the US went to Pakistan and killed Osama Bin Laden, the BJP’s central government should capture Dawood and bring him to Mumbai. If he is a big criminal then why has he been allowed to roam freely? First, you need to clarify whether Dawood is alive or not. The Centre knows where Dawood is and what he is doing. You are such a great leader... Dawood is just a mosquito in front of you,” Raut said.
While taking cognisance of Enforcement Directorate (ED) chargesheet against Malik, the special PMLA court on Friday had said there is prima facie evidence to indicate that the NCP leader was directly and knowingly involved in the money laundering and criminal conspiracy with others to usurp Goawala compound in Kurla. The court has issued proceedings against him and co-accused Sardar Shahwali Khan, who is also an accused in the 1993 blasts case.
“I don’t think the PMLA court has directly linked Malik to Dawood. If you read the ED chargesheet carefully, the word prima facie is not part of it. If the BJP is saying that chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is not taking action on Malik, the Centre must first drag Dawood back to Mumbai. They are just taking Dawood’s name for so many years, but he is roaming scot-free there [Pakistan]...You have so much force, barge into Pakistan and get him here... You are so powerful, a global leader, and you have such a great government,” Raut said.
Taking a dig at state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil, Raut said, “As Balasaheb’s balance is still there, the Maharashtra government is running. Once upon a time we would listen to Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani. Where was Patil then? Sharad Pawar is a senior leader of the country. Everyone knows that PM Modi takes Pawar’s guidance. Patil has little knowledge of politics.”
