Nawab Malik drops 'hydrogen bomb' targeting Devendra Fadnavis's underworld links

Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik on Wednesday morning held a press conference to drop a "hydrogen bomb" - reference to an alleged expose against former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

He questioned the appointments done during Fadnavis' tenure and alleged that people with "dubious Pakistan connections" were appointed at key posts. Malik also said that the fake currency racket was going on in Maharashtra under Fadnavis' protection.

He also accused Fadnavis for trying to defend NCB zonal officer Sameer Wankhede, who according to Malik is framing innocent people in fake cases. Mr Malik has routinely accused the opposition BJP of using the anti-drugs agency to entrap Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.

However, the BJP's Ashish Shelar hit back shortly after, mocking Mr Malik over his claim of "hydrogen bombs".

"Malik had said that he would detonate a hydrogen bomb but it seems that it was a fused firecracker that did not burst. Malik has become so helpless that forget hydrogen, I think he might need oxygen now. He has made bogus allegations against Devendra Fadnavis and all of them are baseless. By dropping names and making claims of an international racket, calls from abroad and extortion, he tried to create a false narrative, but his attempts have failed," Shelar said.

An hour later Mr Fadnavis responded with a quote from author George Bernard Shaw that said: "I learned long ago never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."

Thought of the day 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/PkLiHS3GVW

— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) November 10, 2021

In the press meet held today, Malik has also claimed that with the blessing of Fadnavis, the game of counterfeit notes started in Maharashtra.

He alleged that after demonetisation was declared by PM Narendra Modi and when fake currency was being seized in many states, no case was registered in Maharashtra for almost a year.

He added that there was "direct connection" of the counterfeit notes with Pakistan.

Claiming the former chief minister had links with Dawood Ibrahim, the NCP leader alleged that Fadnavis started a recovery racket with the help of gangster's aide Riyaz Bhati, who has been named in an FIR registered in an extortion case.

He reiterated that he or his family members are not involved in black money trade.

Today's press conference was in response to the claims made by Fadnavis on Tuesday, accusing Malik of having business dealings with 1993 Mumbai blasts convicts. The BJP leader said that Malik and his family members purchased land in suburban Kurla at a very cheap rate through fictitious documents from the two convicts.

The NCP leader rubbished the "baseless" allegations, which he said have been levelled against him to malign his image and said he did not know underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parker.