How can a member of Dawood Ibrahim's gang attend PM Modi’s event? asks Nawab Malik

The political war of words and allegations and counter-allegations continued in Maharashtra with NCP chief spokesperson and state’s Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik wanting to know from former chief minister and now Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis as to how Riyaz Bhati, a member of the Dawood Ibrahim, could attend a function of Narendra Modi and get photographed with the Prime Minister.

“Its an issue involving national security… How can a person like Riyaz Bhati have access to the events of the Prime Minister?” asked Malik at a news conference.

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Fadnavis has not commented so far. However, he tweeted a quote by George Bernard Shaw. His close aide and BJP leader Ashish Shelar is expected to address a press conference later in the day.

Malik further said: “Who is Riyaz Bhati? He was caught in a fake passport case and is linked to Dawood Ibrahim. He was let off in two days. He was seen at functions with you (Fadnavis) and even at BJP events.”

Malik, a senior minister in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government and a close aide of NCP founder-President Sharad Pawar, accused Fadnavis of “criminalisation of politics”.

Malik pointed out that when Fadnavis was the Chief Minister from 2014-19, he had appointed Munna Yadav as the Chairman of Construction Workers Board and Haidar Azam as Chairman of Maulana Azad Finance Corporation. According to Malik, Yadav is a “goonda” from Nagpur, while Azam is involved in settling Bangladeshis who illegally enter India.

Malik also accused Fadnavis of protecting people who were allegedly involved in currency rackets post-demonetisation. "Modi ji had said that terrorism, black money will end with demonetisation, fake notes will end. After the ban on notes (Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) on November 8, 2016, counterfeit notes were seized in many states," Malik said.

However, he said that for a year, no fake note case came to the light in Maharashtra. “But, on October 8, 2017, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence seized counterfeit notes of Rs 14.56 crore in Bandra Kurla Complex area of Mumbai. “There was an arrest in Mumbai. An arrest took place in Pune. An arrest was also made in Navi Mumbai. But the case was suppressed by telling that the arrest was in connection with a Rs 8.80 lakh case against Rs 14.56 crore.”

Malik alleged that 2008-batch IRS officer Sameer Wankhede was in-charge of the case. “He (Wankhede) is posted in Mumbai for the last 14 years without a break,” Malik said as he sought to know the reasons behind it.

Meanwhile, Yadav has denied the allegations. "I have been a BJP worker for over 25 years... Malik is just making baseless allegations," he added.