BJP co-incharge for West Bengal, Amit Malviya said Banerjee's call to Pawar is not out of principle or for solidarity but a desperate attempt to secure support at a later date.

 

On Wednesday, Chief Minister Banerjee call ed Pawar after Maharashtra minister and senior NCP leader Nawab Malik was arrest ed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

 

"Mamata Banerjee's call to Sharad Pawar is not out of principle or solidarity. It is a desperate attempt to secure support at a later date, given her nephew is under ED scanner, not to forget the dark shadow of post-poll violence that hangs over her, who as CM, oversaw the pogrom," Malviya said.

 

After Malik's arrest, BJP national general secretary and Maharashtra in-charge C.T. Ravi tweeted, "NCP leader Nawab Malik arrest ed by the ED for money laundering. Playing the usual "Victim Card" will begin now."

 

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis term ed the matter as 'extremely serious' since the land worth crores of rupees was allegedly grabb ed at a throwaway price with persons link ed to absconding mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, colluding with enemies of the country, and the proceeds were launder ed for terror funding and anti-national activities.

 

BJP state President Chandrakant Patil demand ed that since Malik has been arrested, he should quit, as also all other ministers facing various allegations should resign from the Cabinet immediately, failing which the BJP would launch an agitation on the streets.

 

After a series of meetings with top leaders of Shiv Sena-NCP -Congress, it was decid ed that irrespective of the court orders, Malik would not be compell ed to resign as the Minority Affairs Minister.

 

A special PMLA court in Mumbai had remand ed Malik to eight-day ED custody till March 3.