It is CM’s prerogative to accept or reject resignation: Raut on BJP’s demand to sack Malik

Amid BJP’s demand to sack Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik following his arrest, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday said it is the prerogative of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray whether to accept or reject the resignation of his cabinet colleagues. Malik, who is state Minority Affairs Minister and NCP’s chief spokesperson, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. Malik was remanded in ED custody till March 3. After his arrest, the BJP has started demanding Malik’s removal from the state cabinet, but the ruling allies – Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress – have rejected the possibility of his resignation.

When asked about the opposition party’s demand, Raut told reporters, ”The BJP which is in power at the national level misuses central probe agencies for political gains, arrests our ministers and then holds protests seeking resignation. But it is Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray who has the authority to decide whether to accept or reject such a resignation.” ”As the BJP is indulging in politics, we will also make some political moves,” the Sena’s Rajya Sabha member added.