Nawab Malik sticking to his ministerial chair despite his arrest under section 19 of The Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 demonstrates the new low to which power loving politicians can go. Though legally he is not bound to resign, he is required to resign till his name is cleared. If he insists, or rather,
if Sharad Pawar is insisting on his continuation, the Chief Minister should ask for the resignation of the arrested accused who is still a minister in his cabinet. He shouldn’t suffer embarrassment, infamy and accusations of complicity with the accused for political compulsions. Looks like, the coalition partners are twisting the arms of the Chief Minister, Thackeray, otherwise a first class gentleman.
Nawab Malik is being accused of laundering money for the benefit of Dawood Ibrahim gang. A fair probe becomes difficult as long as Nawab Malik has ministerial privileges, security and aura. Right from T T Krishnamachari from Nehru days up to M J Akbar of Modi times, many had to resign when accused of criminal offences. Sharad Pawar throwing his weight behind Malik and making a political issue out of what is a criminal offence of heinous kind is something troubling. In the past, there were whispers about links between Dawood and Sahab, though no probe was ever made. Now, his stand in creating hurdles in fair probe gives hint of his true loyalty.
Why people close to Pawar are always linked to Dawood Ibrahim?