NCP leader Nawab Malik, on Wednesday, launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and said that BJP is restless as it cannot topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. This comes after a delegation of BJP leaders, on Wednesday, submitted a memorandum to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and urged him to seek a "status report" from state chief secretary on the law and order situation.
He also called BJP's allegations, against the Shiv Sena-led government on several issues, "baseless".
"BJP is desperate to come into power. It is restless as it cannot topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government," Nawab Malik said.
After corruption allegations were levelled against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, on Wednesday, said that Maha Vikas Aghadi government has lost the moral ground to remain in power. A delegation of BJP leaders, led by Devendra Fadnavis met the Governor and handed over a memorandum.
"The chief minister will speak at the right time. He need not speak on every issue...He will speak at the appropriate time. BJP's allegations are baseless," Maharashtra Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik told news agency PTI.
The NCP spokesperson added that the BJP leaders must understand that President's Rule cannot be imposed in a state "just like that". He also claimed that the MVA (comprising the Shiv Sena, Congress and the NCP) enjoys the support of more than 175 MLAs. The Maharashtra Assembly has 288 MLAs.
The Maharashtra minister added that people of the state have begun to realise that the BJP is involved in a plot to malign the state government by peddling "half-baked information".
On Tuesday, Nawab Malik refuted Fadnavis' corruption claims. The NCP leader claimed that the transfer of police officers mentioned in a report by former intelligence commissioner Rashmi Shukla was false and that the latter had illegally tapped the phones of people.
Malik further said the Police Establishment Board committee set up for transfers of top-level IPS officers makes a proposal for transfer.
"The President of the Board is ACS, the ADG is the member, there is a director of anti-corruption and after their recommendation, the home department scrutinises it. Then, the class-1 officer notes the views of the Home Minister and then it is sent to the Chief Minister for approval," he added.
Nawab Malik also alleged that both Shukla and Jaiswal were working for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the erstwhile BJP-Shiv Sena government.
(With inputs from PTI)
