Nawab Malik-Devendra Fadnavis face-off gives drugs case a dramatic turn

Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik has taken his fight over the drugsoncruise case straight into the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP camp by accusing former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the party of patronising the drug business The BJP leader has dismissed the charges saying he will expose Malikrsquos links with the underworldMalik tweeted photos of Fadnavis and his wife Amruta with alleged drug peddler Jaideep Rana He accused the BJP of influencing the probe and said on Monday that a person named Neeraj Gunde who visited the Narcotics Control Bureaursquos NCB Mumbai office was Fadnavisrsquos close associateDevendra Fadnavis and his wife pictured here after voting has been targeted because Nawab Malik could not target him File picPradeep DhivarFadnavis dismissed the charges and promised to expose the ministerrsquos link with the underworld after Diwali He did not deny his friendship with Gunde but asked Malik to talk to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray before naming a person who was also the Shiv Sena presidentrsquos longtime friend Malikrsquos chargesContinuing his tirade against the NCB Malik went a step ahead after posting some pictures He said Rana who was seen with the exCM and his wife was currently in jail for drug peddling ldquoRana financed the River Anthem video featuring the exCM his wife and exfinance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar The drugs business was carried under the aegis of Fadnavisrdquo said Malik demanding a CBI or judicial inquiry into his allegations He further accused Fadnavis of conspiring to defame political rivals and influencing the NCB probeMalik wanted to know Gundersquos connection with Fadnavis ldquoThis man was so powerful when Fadnavis was the CM He had direct access to the CMrsquos cabin and the offices of senior police officers and bureaucratsldquoWhat is Gunde doing by visiting the NCB office very often He was very influential in the previous government and decided the transfers of police and bureaucrats He was Fadnavisrsquos Sachin Vazerdquo alleged the Minority Welfare and Skill Development ministerHe said Fadnavis would frequently visit Gundersquos residence from where he planned everything He also said that Gunde acted as Fadnavisrsquo doot messenger whenever the then CM wanted rapprochement with Thackeray whose party shared power with the BJPFadnavis respondsFadnavis said his wife has been targeted because Malik could not target him ldquoI will set off a bomb after Diwali I will expose Malikrsquos link with the underworld by placing the evidence before the media and Nationalist Congress Party NCP chief Sharad Pawarrdquo He said the person in the photo tweeted by Malik was a member of a content team River March organisation had hired four years ago ldquoMy wife was connected to the Nadi Bachao campaign The content team workers not only shot pictures with my wife but with me as well River March the organisation that made the River Anthem has clarified on Sunday that a person in the picture was from a team they had hired for the projectrdquo said FadnavisldquoIf Malik can link me and our party to anyone using such photos the NCP can also be called a mafia party based on the arrest of the ministerrsquos soninlaw in a drug caserdquo Fadnavis said adding ldquoNCP pets a person like Vaze not us Malik who had to quit as minister because of lying is now doing this to save his soninlaw from NCBrdquoHe suggested that Malik should ask Thackeray about Gunde who had been the CMrsquos friend much before the activist became friends with him ldquoIs it because Gunde exposes the NCP scams daily Thackeray must have visited Gunde more than me and Gunde must have visited Thackeray more than I had been to Matoshri Take action against Gunde if you have the courage and evidence I donrsquot deny my relations with GunderdquolsquoWonrsquot spare my attackerrsquoAt a press conference held on Monday evening Amruta Fadnavis said she wasnrsquot a politician but a social worker who had joined a good cause of rejuvenating Mumbairsquos four rivers She said the person in the photo had been hired by the NGO that worked on the anthem ldquoThere was no record of him as a punter then He has been arrested by a Central agency after four yearsrdquo she saidldquoI have my own identity as a banker social worker and singer I will not spare whoever attacks merdquo she said adding Malik will also be exposed at the right time ldquoThey attack us because we donrsquot have land banks and sugar mills Since they have nothing to attack my husband with they are deliberately dragging me into itrdquo she said