New Delhi:
Nawab Malik, now the official candidate of the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party, today told NDTV that the allegations now leveled against him are 'irresponsible' and that the verdicts in the cases would prove him right. His response was to the comments of senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, who had called him a 'terrorist'.
“These are irresponsible statements. Nawab Malik was never a terrorist nor was he ever associated with a terrorist or a criminal. Nawab Malik has been in politics in this country for 50 years,” Mr. Malik told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
Some people think making such comments would increase their vote, but it actually has the opposite effect, he said.
“Now the matter is sub judice, so obviously I can't talk about it. Once the verdict comes, everything will be clear,” he added.
Mr. Malik was arrested by central agencies in an alleged money laundering case involving mafia don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates Chhota Shakeel and Tigar Memon. He is currently out on bail.
The BJP had refused to support his candidature citing the case against him.
“We will not support anyone involved in any Dawood or Dawood-related case,” Maharashtra BJP chief Ashish Shelar said yesterday, after Ajit Pawar's last-minute support of Mr Malik. He said the BJP would not campaign for him.
“Nawab Malik is a terrorist who tried to break India into pieces. He is Dawood's agent and Ajit Pawar's NCP betrayed the country by giving Nawab Malik a ticket,” Kirit Somaiyya said later.
Mr Malik, who had filed two nominations yesterday – one as an independent and the other as a member of the NCP, today said he would not like to contest this time.
“I have served five terms and been a minister six times. I did not want to contest the elections,” he said, explaining that he changed his mind due to appeals from the people of Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar.