Malik may have got concrete evidence against Wankhede, hence speaking against him: NCP minister

NCPs Maharashtra unit chief and state minister Jayant Patil has said that his party colleague Nawab Malik may have some concrete evidence against NCBs Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, without which he would not have made statements against the officer.

NCP's Maharashtra unit chief and state minister Jayant Patil has said that his party colleague Nawab Malik may have some concrete evidence against NCB's Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, without which he would not have made statements against the officer. Over the last few days, Malik has been criticising Wankhede, who had supervised a raid on a cruise liner off the Mumbai coast earlier this month that led to the alleged recovery of drugs and arrest of superstar Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan. Two days back, the NCP leader had dubbed the officer as ''bogus'' and asserted that once ''proof'' against him is out, he cannot remain in government service for even one day. Notably, Malik's son-in-law Sameer Khan had been arrested by the NCB on January 13 this year for alleged possession of drugs. He had got bail in September. ''Nawab Malik may have some concrete evidence against NCB's Sameer Wankehede, without which he will not make statements against him. A clear picture will emerge in the near future,'' Patil told reporters in Palghar on Friday in response to a question. The Water Resources Minister alleged that the BJP and the government led by it at the Centre was trying all possible ways to pull down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra. ''It is very clear that all possible efforts are being made to pull down and finish the MVA government. When they realised that the state government cannot collapse, efforts are being made to defame it. The raids are being conducted on the politicians in the state by digging up old issues,'' Patil added. Instead of probing black money, major tax defaulters and big businessmen, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Income Tax Department are chasing the politicians in the state in order to increase their revenue, he alleged. ''The citizens of the country have now realised the intention of the BJP government behind these raids,'' he said. The NCP leader said that every effort will me made to keep the MVA constituents together in the upcoming civic and other local elections in the state. The NCP shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress.

''In at least 90 per cent of the seats, we are sure we will be together, while in the remaining seats, if there are any issues, they will be resolved at different levels at appropriate time. The fact is that we want to be together in future also,'' he said. PTI COR NP NP

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