NCB targeting Bollywood, Thackeray to write to Modi, says Malik
Darpan News Desk IANS, 26 Oct, 2021 11:53 AM
Mumbai, Oct 26 (IANS) Concerned over the manner in which Bollywood is being "targeted" by the Narcotics Control Bureau for the past over one year, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray will write to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue, Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik said on Tuesday.
The minister met his NCP colleague and Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil and the CM this evening to discuss setting up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the ongoing fallout of the cruise rave party by the NCB.
"The CM expressed his concerns at how Bollywood's image is being maligned globally. After Hollywood, it's the most important film industry, employs millions of people and contributes around 3-4 percent to the national GDP. The CM will write to the PM highlighting the matter," Malik told media persons.
On the issue of probing the issues revealed by a NCB "Panch Witness" related to the ship raid, Thackeray and Walse-Patil have assured that necessary action like lodging a police complaint would be taken up.
The state government is likely to probe the purported revelations made by "Panch-Witness' Prabhakar Sail on alleged bribery deals by the NCB through conduit Kiran Gosavi, who is currently absconding.
Malik's meetings were a followup of a 26-point letter which he placed in the public domain, sent by a NCB whistle-blower on condition of anonymity, highlighting the alleged goings on in the central probe agency.
Meanwhile, Marathi film actress Kranti Redkar-Wankhede, and Yasmeen Wankhede -- the wife and sister, respectively, of NCB Mumbai Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede -- slammed Malik at a joint press conference.
Accusing Malik of misusing his position and indulging in "kitchen politics", the duo also dismissed allegations levelled against Wankhede and dared the minister to prove them in a court of law.
They claimed that despite getting police protection, their families are being trolled in a foul manner and getting death threats from all over India, but asserted they are not scared.
Simultaneously, Bharatiya Janata Party activist Mohit (Kamboj) Bharatiya lodged a defamation complaint against Malik, charging him with resorting to falsehoods and misusing his ministerial position.
Two gold bars, of 3 kg each, of 24 carat purity, and worth Rs 2.96 crore, were concealed in two rechargeable lights. The officials, who searched the baggage of a passenger arriving from Dubai by flight EK 524, found the two emergency lights. On suspicion, they opened the lights and found the bars kept inside the rechargeable batteries.
The former Punjab CM also said that he is hopeful of a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP for next year's Assembly elections in the state, if the farmers' issues are resolved in their interest.
According to the firm, the event will provide an opportunity to the game developers, publishers and creators across India to build, grow their communities and monetize on Facebook.
Suggesting Kejriwal to keep himself up to date, the minister said the state government has already executed the Punjab Anti-Red Tape Act of 2021 to promote effective administration of public affairs through simplified and trust-based procedures that shall expedite processes and make governance efficient.
A senior party functionary said that the fact that the BJP has never been in power in Punjab on its own, this time the party is leaving no stone unturned and the central leadership is regularly reviewing the poll preparedness of the state unit
The police had been conducting raids to arrest Ankit Das who is the nephew of former MP, late Akhilesh Das. A notice had been pasted at his residence residential address in Lucknow.
