Nationalist Congress Party leaders threw their weight behind Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday following a gruelling interrogation in connection with a money laundering case.
Earlier, NCP chief Sharad Pawar rebuked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government, remarking that Mr. Malik was being harassed for being vocal against the Centre’s misuse of central agencies and that there was “nothing surprising” about the interrogation.
Following Mr. Malik’s arrest, a meeting between Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Mr. Pawar and State Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil is to take place at Mr. Thackeray official residence ‘Varsha’ later today evening. The BJP has called for Mr. Malik's resignation, with BJP State president Chandrakant Patil stating that the NCP leader had no moral claim to being part of the State cabinet now.
