Mumbai:

Amid an escalating war of words between the Maha Vikas Agadhi government of Maharashtra and the Centre, State Minister Nawab Malik was taken to the office of the Directorate of Law Enforcement (ED) this morning for questioning. Officials from the Central Investigative Agency reached the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader’s home at 6 a.m. where he was questioned for an hour. He was then brought to the emergency office at 7:30 a.m. and has been questioned there since 8:30 a.m.

The 62-year-old minister was summoned by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to the activities of Mumbai underworld fugitive mobster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides, officials told the news agency PTI. The agency registers its statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Nawab Malik’s office confirmed the development in a tweet from his official Twitter account.

“Today morning, ED came to @nawabmalikncp saheb’s residence. They accompanied saheb in his vehicle to the ED office. Lawyer Amir Malik, Saheb’s son, accompanied saheb” , did he declare.

Today morning the ED had come @nawabmalikncp residence of saheb. They accompanied Saheb in his vehicle to the ED office. Lawyer Amir Malik, Saheb’s son accompanied Saheb with him.

— Office of Nawab Malik (@OfficeofNM) February 23, 2022

Reacting to Mr Malik’s questioning, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut again accused the central bodies of being politically motivated. In a subtle warning to the BJP, Mr Raut also said he will “expose” several officials involved in corruption “no matter the cost”.

“Nawab Malik was bringing out the truth. Whoever speaks against them (BJP) has the CBI and ED unleashed after them. ED took him away in the morning. Let them investigate, we hope he is back home in the evening,” he said. noted.

NCP leader Sharad Pawar echoed the Sena MP’s accusation that those who speak out against the Center and its investigative agencies are being targeted. “We knew that Nawab Malik would be targeted in this way when he attacked the Centre. I don’t know of the lawsuits against him, but Dawood’s name has always been used in an attempt to defame his rivals,” he said. declared.

Mr Pawar claimed he was also accused of having underworld links when he was the state’s chief minister. “25 years later, the same trick is being used to harass and defame,” he added.

Two weeks ago, Mr Malik denounced the Center for trying to overthrow the state government and said that the Nationalist Congress Party, Congress and the Shiv Sena would not only continue to rule Maharashtra but also come in power in the Center by dislodging the BJP. .

“It’s their (BJP’s) delusion that we will be scared. No matter how hard they try, the (state) government will complete five years. This government will run for 25 years. We will be in power in the state, and we will also achieve power at the Center,” Mr. Malik said.

The three parties formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra following the 2019 elections, after the Shiv Sena severed ties with its longtime ally the BJP over the issue of job sharing of chief minister.

Mr Malik’s comments follow sensational claims by Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut in a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu alleging that the Law Enforcement Directorate harassed him, he and his family, after refusing to help overthrow the government of Maharashtra. He said the ED and other investigative agency officials “are now reduced to puppets of their political masters” and added that the officials even admitted they were “asked by their” bosses “to” fix me.

Nawab Malik has also repeatedly attacked central law enforcement agencies, accusing them of harassing and intimidating opposition leaders at the behest of the BJP-led labor government.

He had recently made headlines for attacking Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Area Director Sameer Wankhede, accusing him of several service-related wrongdoings after the anti-drugs officer carried out the raid on a cruise ship off the coast of Mumbai in October last year and arrested 20 people. including Aryan Khan, the son of superstar Shah Rukh Khan.

Sameer Khan’s son-in-law Mr. Malik was also arrested in a drug case by CBN’s Mumbai unit last year.