Ahead of the budget session of Maharashtra Legislature, NCP chief Sharad Pawar met party ministers, MPs and senior leaders to decide party’s strategy while opposition parties led by BJP finalized their plan to take on the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government. The budget session will begin on March 3 against the backdrop of the arrest of NCP Minister Nawab Malik in the money laundering case.
At the meeting, NCP leaders discussed the present political situation especially after the arrest of party minister Nawab Malik and BJP’s move to continue its attacks against the party and MVA government on corruption issues. State NCP chief Jayant Patil has announced Malik will not resign from the cabinet. They strongly rallied behind Malik.
"No matter what the Opposition says, Malik will not be asked to resign from his ministerial post,” said Patil. He further added that it was not mandatory to seek the resignation of any minister until the crime is proven. Targeting the opposition BJP, he noted that there are efforts to put the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ministers in trouble.
When asked about BJP state unit president Chandrakant Patil's statement that his party will not allow the upcoming budget session of the state legislature to function if Malik continues to remain a cabinet minister despite his arrest, Patil said, "Let the BJP put forth its stand on Malik during the session and an appropriate answer will be given."
"If every day some kind of action is being taken against ministers, it is not mandatory to seek their resignation. If the crime against them is not yet proved, why would the person give his resignation?" he said.
"In the case of (former home minister) Anil Deshmukh, we took his resignation when he was arrested, but it was later understood that the allegations against him were frail,’’ said Patil.
On the other hand, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said that the state government's support for Malik is unfortunate and reiterated that the minister should resign. "What had never happened in Maharashtra or the country before, can now be seen happening here. The entire state cabinet and state govt is standing to save Nawab Malik who was involved in money laundering with bomb blast accused Dawood Ibrahim," Fadnavis said after meeting of opposition parties to decide strategy for the budget session.
‘’Nawab Malik is facing charges for helping Dawood Ibrahim, a key conspirator of the 1993 Mumbai blasts, but the Shiv Sena-led government continues to stand by him. He should have been removed," Fadnavis alleged.
"I believe that by not seeking Malik's resignation, the government is trying to appease a particular community and indulging in polarisation. It is unfortunate that the Shiv Sena-led government is acting in such a way," the former Maharashtra chief minister added.
Fadnavis claimed that it was the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government's habit to mete out injustice to some BJP leaders and ministers, but cry foul that its own leaders are targeted.
On the MVA's rhetoric that Maharashtra will not bend, he said, "The MVA is not Maharashtra. The MVA is bowing before Dawood Ibrahim, but is being adamant with us."
Meanwhile, the BJP and other opposition parties boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on the eve of the budget session.
