NCP targets BJP over Dawood ties
The Nationalist Congress Party on Friday alleged that Riyaz Bhati— an alleged aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim— was an office-bearer in the Mumbai unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik alleged that Bhati was actively working for the BJP during the 2014 General elections and the Maharashtra Assembly elections. “He (Riyaz Bhati) was a member of BJP working committee and he was a part of the Mumbai unit of BJP during the State and General elections in 2014,” Malik told reporters.
Bhati was arrested at the Mumbai airport in October 2015 after Intelligence Bureau (IB) raised a red-corner notice. He was arrested for having two passports with different names— one in the name of Riyaz Bhati and the other in Phoolchand Bhati’s name.
Malik, who claimed that Bhati has charges of extortion and land grabbing pending against him, slammed the BJP-led government for providing police protection to Bhati. “He was released in 15 days and there is no charge sheet against him; it been over 365 days. Why sections of MCOCA (Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act) were not slapped on him (Bhati). We have been asking a question since yesterday as to on whose direction police security has been provided to the gangster (Bhati) since December 2014?” Malik said.
Meanwhile, BJP’s Mumbai President Ashish Shelar has denied Malik’s claims that Bhati was a functionary in BJP. Following the claims, Shelar, a legislator from Bandra, wrote to the Mumbai Police to enquire in to the case of Riyaz Bhati.
Ashok Dudhe, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Mumbai Police spokesperson, said, “An application has been submitted by Ashish Shelar against Riyaz Bhati for enquiry. The application has been acknowledged and forwarded to the Mumbai crime branch.”
Shelar also said that he will file a defamation case against Malik. However, Malik said that the NCP is willing to fight it out legally. “After we exposed them, they are saying that they will slap a case against us. We accept their challenge and are ready to fight legal battle,” Malik said.
Riyaz Bhati, an alleged aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, was a member of BJP working committee and he was a part of the Mumbai unit of BJP during the State and General elections in 2014, alleges NCP