‘What is he trying to prove?’ Bombay HC slams Malik over Wankhede issue, minister calls time-out

 

Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik has announced that he would not tweet and make a public statement against Narcotics Control Bureau Mumbai zone Chief Sameer Wankhede and his family members till December 9. The announcement came after a division bench of the Bombay high court slammed the NCP leader and strongly opposed the minister’s public statements against Wankhede.

 

‘What is this media publicity he wants every day? Especially after his son-in-law’s arrest.  He is a Minister, does it befit him to do all this?’, Justice Kathawalla questioned while hearing an appeal lodged by Sameer Wankhede’s father Dnyandev Wankhede. The plea challenged the order of a single bench of the high court which refused to restrain Nawab Malik from tweeting or making statements against the Wankhede family. Dnyandev Wankhede’s counsel accused that the minister has been tweeting about every one of the Wankhede family, not even sparing his daughter and dead wife.

 

The high court also asked the minister whether he filed any complaints with the competent authorities on his allegation over Sameer Wankhede’s caste. ‘If he has not filed an official complaint, then what was his intention behind the media publicity? Any complaint made to the caste scrutiny committee? If no then what is he trying to prove? Is this for media publicity? For claims of caste falsities, everyone has a redressal forum (the caste scrutiny committee)’, the high court said. ‘If there is a caste certificate in his (Malik’s) favour, then instead of all this media publicity that he wants every day, especially after his son-in-law was arrested by Wankhede, why not approach the committee? He is a minister. Does it befit him to do all this?’ the bench asked.

Also read:  Activist Anna Hazare hospitalized following chest pain; undergoes angiography

 

Earlier, the single bench has also noted that the documents Nawab Malik submitted were not verified but no injunction order was imposed on the minister. Nawab Malik’s lawyer had stated that the documents were verified to prove that though born a Muslim, Sameer Wankhede forged an SC certificate and got the quota benefit in UPSC.