Mumbai: Minutes after NCP chief spokesperson and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik alleged his close links with the underworld, the leader of the opposition, Devendra Fadnavis, shot back with a tweet quoting George Bernard Shaw. “Thought of the Day,” said Fadnavis, quoting Shaw: “I learned long ago never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty and besides, the pig likes it.”
Fadnavis did not hold any press conference, but suspended BJP legislator Ashish Shelar said, “Forget the hydrogen bomb, now Nawab Malik will need oxygen. Malik’s attempt to accuse Fadnavis is like ‘uncooked biryani’ from Birbal’s story.” He added that Malik needs to maintain his mental balance.
Shelar claimed there was no truth in the allegations levelled by Malik against Fadnavis. “No matter how much you dig, you will not find anything to accuse. Munna Yadav, Haji Arafat Sheikh and Haji Haider Azam are all BJP karyakartas. They were appointed as presidents on various positions. Of these, there is not a single offence registered against Haji Arafat Sheikh and Haji Haider Azam. Only after thorough investigations were they legally appointed,” he clarified.
Munna Yadav, Shelar said, was accused of political agitations, and he would personally talk about it.
“Since the past two years, Malik is in power in the state and the home ministry is also with one of the ministers from his political party. There has not been a single offence in the past two years registered against Haji Arafat Sheikh and Haji Haider Azam, against whom Malik is levelling serious allegations. And even if there is any offence against them, it is only the offence pertaining to political agitations,’’ said Shelar.
Also, Malik mentioned about Mohammed Alam Sheikh, brother of Haji Arafat Sheikh, who was then a Congress secretary but is currently working as an NCP activist.
Shelar claimed that it had become the new job of the NCP to make one allegation every single day and then run away. “Also, in his press conference, Malik had mentioned Riaz Bhati and shared some photographs with the media,” said Shelar, going on to also share Bhati’s photos with leaders from the current Aghadi government.
Talking about Bhati’s presence at a programme featuring the Prime Minister, Shelar said that Bhati had nothing to do with PM’s office nor his programmes. Saying he did not wish to share photos, he did so, showing the media persons pictures of Bhati sharing the screen with NCP president Sharad Pawar, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and Aslam Sheikh. Then, he proceeded to advise, “Do not stoop so low in politics. Is this some kind of ‘Nawabi level’ of inferiority complex in politics?”
