Shiv Sena President and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has challenged the Modi government. He said that if the Modi government has power, then show Dawood Ibrahim dead. Speaking in the Maharashtra Assembly, Uddhav Thackeray defended NCP leader Nawab Malik. He said that Nawab Malik has relations with Dawood Ibrahim, so what were the central agencies doing for so many years? He said this in the context of BJP MLAs protesting outside the Maharashtra Assembly demanding the resignation of Nawab Malik.
Uddhav Thackeray asked the BJP government at the Center that why did he form the government with the PDP sympathizing with terrorists Afzal Guru and Burhan Wani? During this, Uddhav Thackeray also lashed out at BJP leader and former CM Devendra Fadnavis. Taking a sarcasm, he said that the Enforcement Directorate should hire Devendra Fadnavis. Uddhav Thackeray said that BJP fought the last election on Ram Mandir and will now seek votes in the name of Dawood Ibrahim in the next election. Referring to former US President Barack Obama, he said that Barack Obama entered Pakistan and got bin Laden killed, yet never sought votes in bin Laden’s name.
Significantly, Nawab Malik, the leader of Shiv Sena’s ally NCP in Maharashtra, was arrested by the ED on February 23 in the Dawood Ibrahim money laundering case. NCP has temporarily removed Nawab Malik from all his posts. Significantly, earlier on Tuesday, the ED had attached properties worth 6.45 crores belonging to Uddhav Thackeray’s brother-in-law. BJP leader Kirit Soumaiya had also targeted Uddhav Thackeray on this matter. He had said that after coming to power, Uddhav Thackeray has made Shiv Sena a mafia army.