<p>Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday shared dais with NCP leader Praful Patel and called him his "brother", a development which comes amid reports that the ED's provisional attachment of a Mumbai property linked to the Opposition MP in a case involving late drug smuggler Iqbal Mirchi has been confirmed.</p>.<p>Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, and Patel came together at a function organised in Gondia, the latter's home district in eastern Maharashtra.</p>.<p>The move of Fadnavis raised eyebrows within and outside the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Under his leadership, BJP workers had held an agitation in Mumbai last year when Patel's name cropped up in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the money laundering case against Mirchi, a key aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim who is also an accused in the 1993 Mumbai bombings. The NCP leader, a former civil aviation minister, had been questioned by the ED in the past in connection with its probe into the case. Speaking at the function, Fadnavis referred to Patel as his "close friend" and "brother".</p>.<p>The NCP parliamentarian, on the other hand, described Fadnavis as a "dynamic and visionary leader". "As I am here, naturally there will be a lot of speculation about my presence. I thank Praful Patel, who is my close friend and brother (for invitation). But this is the culture of Maharashtra, where we do not keep animosity at individual level despite having differences at ideological level," said the BJP leader. Patel had organised the function to felicitate a group of students in Gondia.</p>.<p>The NCP leader is a former Lok Sabha MP from Bhandara-Gondia and is currently a Rajya Sabha member. In July last year, the ED had provisionally attached units located on 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th floors of Ceejay House building at Worli in central Mumbai as part of its probe into the money laundering case against Mirchi, who died in London in 2013.</p>.<p>According to reports, the adjudication authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) recently confirmed the provisional attachment of these units in Ceejay House, which was constructed by Patel's firm, Millennium Developers Pvt Ltd, in 2006-07. ED officials in 2019 had attached two other floors which belonged to the Mirchi family.</p>.<p>“Mirchi was an international drugs dealer and smuggler who amassed huge wealth and acquired various immovable properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees and businesses across the globe. After an investigation under PMLA, the agency started attaching his properties in India,” the ED has said in the past.</p>.<p>The probe agency has claimed these properties in India were acquired by Mirchi in the name of his family members and relatives. Millennium Developers had transferred 3rd and 4th floors to Mirchi's wife, Hazra Iqbal, in 2007 “towards Mirchi's beneficial interest in the land” on which the building was situated, the ED has said. Patel was questioned by the central agency in October 2019. Soon after he held a press briefing where he denied any links with the Mirchi family and claimed all property dealings related to Ceejay House were legitimate. Meanwhile, speaking at the function in Gondia, Fadnavis, who also holds the finance portfolio, said India is currently the world's fifth largest economy and will become the third largest economy soon under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.</p>.<p>Referring to the New Education Policy (NEP) unveiled in 2020, he said soon higher technical and medical education will be made available in Marathi. The function was organised by the Gondia Education Society (GES), late Manoharbhai Patel Memorial Committee and the Gujarati Rashtriya Kelwani Mandal. Industrialist Sajjan Jindal, former MP Vijay Darda and actor Jackie Shroff were also present on the occasion. Paying rich tributes to Manoharbhai Patel, father of Praful Patel, Fadnavis spoke about his work in Bhandara district. Manoharbhai Patel started 22 schools and two junior colleges at a time when literacy rate was just 5 to 6 per cent, he said. "It is because of his contribution in the education sector that we are able to witness an educated generation," Fadnavis said.</p>.<p>Gadchiroli district would be developed as a "steel hub of India", he said. Pointing to Praful Patel, he said "despite our political differences, we can work together for the development of the region." Patel recalled his father's contribution to the education sector.</p>.<p>Praising the deputy CM, who hails from Nagpur, the NCP leader said Maharashtra was "blessed to have a dynamic and visionary leader like Fadnavis." He expressed hope they will be able to work unitedly for development of Vidarbha. Actor Jackie Shroff praised Patel for taking forward his father's legacy.</p>
<p>Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday shared dais with NCP leader Praful Patel and called him his "brother", a development which comes amid reports that the ED's provisional attachment of a Mumbai property linked to the Opposition MP in a case involving late drug smuggler Iqbal Mirchi has been confirmed.</p>.<p>Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, and Patel came together at a function organised in Gondia, the latter's home district in eastern Maharashtra.</p>.<p>The move of Fadnavis raised eyebrows within and outside the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Under his leadership, BJP workers had held an agitation in Mumbai last year when Patel's name cropped up in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the money laundering case against Mirchi, a key aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim who is also an accused in the 1993 Mumbai bombings. The NCP leader, a former civil aviation minister, had been questioned by the ED in the past in connection with its probe into the case. Speaking at the function, Fadnavis referred to Patel as his "close friend" and "brother".</p>.<p>The NCP parliamentarian, on the other hand, described Fadnavis as a "dynamic and visionary leader". "As I am here, naturally there will be a lot of speculation about my presence. I thank Praful Patel, who is my close friend and brother (for invitation). But this is the culture of Maharashtra, where we do not keep animosity at individual level despite having differences at ideological level," said the BJP leader. Patel had organised the function to felicitate a group of students in Gondia.</p>.<p>The NCP leader is a former Lok Sabha MP from Bhandara-Gondia and is currently a Rajya Sabha member. In July last year, the ED had provisionally attached units located on 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th floors of Ceejay House building at Worli in central Mumbai as part of its probe into the money laundering case against Mirchi, who died in London in 2013.</p>.<p>According to reports, the adjudication authority under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) recently confirmed the provisional attachment of these units in Ceejay House, which was constructed by Patel's firm, Millennium Developers Pvt Ltd, in 2006-07. ED officials in 2019 had attached two other floors which belonged to the Mirchi family.</p>.<p>“Mirchi was an international drugs dealer and smuggler who amassed huge wealth and acquired various immovable properties worth hundreds of crores of rupees and businesses across the globe. After an investigation under PMLA, the agency started attaching his properties in India,” the ED has said in the past.</p>.<p>The probe agency has claimed these properties in India were acquired by Mirchi in the name of his family members and relatives. Millennium Developers had transferred 3rd and 4th floors to Mirchi's wife, Hazra Iqbal, in 2007 “towards Mirchi's beneficial interest in the land” on which the building was situated, the ED has said. Patel was questioned by the central agency in October 2019. Soon after he held a press briefing where he denied any links with the Mirchi family and claimed all property dealings related to Ceejay House were legitimate. Meanwhile, speaking at the function in Gondia, Fadnavis, who also holds the finance portfolio, said India is currently the world's fifth largest economy and will become the third largest economy soon under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.</p>.<p>Referring to the New Education Policy (NEP) unveiled in 2020, he said soon higher technical and medical education will be made available in Marathi. The function was organised by the Gondia Education Society (GES), late Manoharbhai Patel Memorial Committee and the Gujarati Rashtriya Kelwani Mandal. Industrialist Sajjan Jindal, former MP Vijay Darda and actor Jackie Shroff were also present on the occasion. Paying rich tributes to Manoharbhai Patel, father of Praful Patel, Fadnavis spoke about his work in Bhandara district. Manoharbhai Patel started 22 schools and two junior colleges at a time when literacy rate was just 5 to 6 per cent, he said. "It is because of his contribution in the education sector that we are able to witness an educated generation," Fadnavis said.</p>.<p>Gadchiroli district would be developed as a "steel hub of India", he said. Pointing to Praful Patel, he said "despite our political differences, we can work together for the development of the region." Patel recalled his father's contribution to the education sector.</p>.<p>Praising the deputy CM, who hails from Nagpur, the NCP leader said Maharashtra was "blessed to have a dynamic and visionary leader like Fadnavis." He expressed hope they will be able to work unitedly for development of Vidarbha. Actor Jackie Shroff praised Patel for taking forward his father's legacy.</p>