Bhartiya Janta Party worker Manish Bhanushali, who was sporting a maroon shirt, was seen dragging out Arbaz Merchant out of the International Cruise Terminal late on Saturday, clarified that he has no official position in the party.
He said that the Maharashtra Minister's allegations are baseless and that BJP has nothing to do with the arrests.
"NCP leader Nawab Malik has put wrong allegations against me. BJP has nothing to do with the arrests. I received information on October 1 that a drugs party was to be held. I was with NCB officers at the ship) for updated information", Bhanushali was quoted saying by news agency ANI.
"I don't have any official position in BJP. I gave this information as being an active citizen of the country. I got to know that last month one of Nawab Malik's relatives was held by NCB in a drug case", the BJP worker added.
"I will file a defamation case against Nawab Malik. He has put my life in danger. I will request authority to provide me security", he further said.
In a stunning claim, the senior Nationalist Congress Party leader on Wednesday alleged that two private persons including a Bharatiya Janata Party 'Vice President' were involved in the Narcotics Control Bureau raid on a luxury ship Cordelia Cruise on October 2.
NCP national spokesperson and Maharashtra Minorities Affairs Minister Nawab Malik slammed the "fraud" NCB operations, in which BJP leader Manish Bhanushali and "private detective" Kiran P. Gosavi were seen dragging out the accused. including superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and Arbaaz Merchant.
"Aryan Khan's arrest is a forgery. For the last one month, the information was being circulated to crime reporters that the next target is actor Shah Rukh Khan," ANI quoted the minister saying.
Malik said that Bhanushali had posted photos with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President J.P. Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Leader of Opposition in Maha Assembly Devendra Fadnavis, plus current and former central and state ministers, and other senior BJP leaders.
