'Shiv Sena must take strict action': Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Nawak Malik's arrest

A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a serving Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that Shiv Sena must take strict disciplinary action against the minister.

"Only ED will know legal factors, I don't want to comment on that, but prima facie when you come to know someone has land dealing with Dawood, it doesn't go well. I think Shiv Sena will take strict disciplinary action," Himanta Biswa Sarma was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Malik (62), the state minority affairs minister and NCP's chief spokesperson, was arrested on Wednesday after being questioned for about five hours at the Enforcement Directorate's office in south Mumbai's Ballard Estate area. He was later produced before special judge R N Rokade, who remanded him in the ED custody till March 3.

The agency said the money laundering probe was linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. Malik was produced in a special PMLA court where the probe agency claimed the NCP leader was "actively" involved in "terror funding".

After a meeting of top leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA-comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) on Wednesday evening, a senior NCP leader said there is no question of taking the resignation of Malik since he has not committed anything wrong.

(With inputs from Agencies)