Senior NCP leader Bhujbal rules out Malik's resignation, says he has done no wrong

Mumbai: There is no question of taking the resignation of Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik, arrested by the ED in a money laundering case, since he has not committed anything wrong, his cabinet colleague and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said on Wednesday evening.

Bhujbal said allegations against Minority Affairs Minister Malik, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) earlier in the day, have not been proved yet.

"There is no question of taking his resignation as he (Malik) has not committed anything wrong", Bhujbal told reporters here, adding the allegations against him have not been proved yet.

Condemning Malik's arrest, Bhujbal said his party colleague is being targeted as he openly speaks against the Centre for misuse of power.

He said the ministers in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government will stage a protest over the action against Malik on Thursday morning.

The MVA government consists of the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress.

Meanwhile, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader and State Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat spoke to AICC secretary in-charge of Maharastra HK Patil and apprised him about the political developments in the state in the backdrop of Malik's arrest.

Thorat met NCP president Sharad Pawar and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to discuss the political fallout of the ED action against Malik.

Malik is the first serving minister in the state to be arrested in a money laundering case.

Earlier, Bhujbal and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh were arrested in separate money laundering cases, but at that time they were not members of the cabinet.

Bhujbal was arrested by the ED in March 2016 and at that time, he was not a minister (BJP was in power then), while Deshmukh was taken into custody by the central agency in November last year. Deshmukh, an NCP leader, had resigned from the state cabinet in April 2021.