Fadnavis’s Bernard Shaw tweet creates flutter, BJP ups ante against Nawab Malik

The tweet was posted at 11.33 am, coinciding with Malik’s press conference where he made serious allegations about Fadnavis having links with Riyaz Bhati, an associate of Dawood Ibrahim, and dreaded criminal Munna Yadav.

Without naming anybody, Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis Wednesday tweeted a famous quote of Bernard Shaw to send across a message to his political rivals. The tweet came in the backdrop of his war of words with NCP leader Nawab Malik, although his colleagues in BJP chose to remain silent about it.

Fadnavis tweeted: “Thought for the day. I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty and besides the pig likes it.” The tweet, which created a flutter in the political corridors, was seen as an attack on Malik. While nobody wanted to go on record, some within BJP said, “Since Malik is holding media conferences every day to attack BJP and Fadnavis, the message may have been directed at him,” while others said “Samajhdaro ke liye ishara hi kafi hai (A hint is enough for the intelligent).”

The tweet was posted at 11.33 am, coinciding with Malik’s press conference where he made serious allegations about Fadnavis having links with Riyaz Bhati, an associate of Dawood Ibrahim, and dreaded criminal Munna Yadav. Malik also alleged that during Fadnavis’s tenure, there was a rise in cases of fake currency notes. “A long association of Fadnavis and NCB zonal officer Sameer Wankhede was founded on seizure of some fake currency notes,” Malik said.

Although BJP dismissed all the charges, Malik threatened to dive deeper to expose Fadnavis.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA and former minister Ashish Shelar strongly refuted Malik’s charges against Fadnavis as baseless. After Malik’s claim of dropping a “hydrogen bomb”, Shelar Wednesday reacted and said, “Forget hydrogen bomb, Nawab Malik will need oxygen. Malik’s attempt to accuse Devendra Fadnavis is like an uncooked biryani from Birbal’s story.”

Earlier in the day, Malik alleged that the BJP government appointed people with criminal backgrounds like Munna Yadav, Haji Arafat Sheikh and Haji Haider Azam to important posts and claimed Fadnavis had links with all of them.

Reacting to the allegation, Shelar said, “Munna Yadav, Haji Arafat Sheikh and Haji Haider Azam are all BJP karyakartas. They were appointed as presidents on various positions. Of these, there is not a single offence registered against Haji Arafat Sheikh and Haji Haider Azam. Munna Yadav is accused of political agitations and he will personally talk about it.”

He also asked why no case has been lodged against Sheikh in the last two years although Malik is a minister.

Commenting on Malik’s mention of Mohammed Alam Sheikh, who is Haji Arafat Sheikh’s brother, the BJP leader pointed, “Sheikh was a Congress secretary in the past and is now working as an NCP activist.”

Shelar also showed pictures of Riaz Bhat with leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi. Regarding Riaz’s presence at a programme hosted by the Prime Minister, Shelar said, “Riaz has nothing to do with the PM’s office nor his programmes.”

Shelar also pointed out that Bhati is said to be missing. “Is he missing or has he been put on some flight? We allege that the NCP is instrumental in putting Riaz Bhati on a flight. The names that came up in Vaze’s case include Riaz which clearly proves that if Riaz is put behind bars, the truth will come out,” Shelar said.

“Who was responsible for giving royal patronage to Riaz in the world of cricket?” he further asked. Maintaining that it was not their way to name senior leaders belonging to ruling parties, Shelar reiterated that Fadnavis had no connection with Bhati.

“We are worried if Malik is losing out on his mental balance by the day. Malik Ji please stay calm. Politics is in its place. Do not stoop so low in politics for your love towards your son-in-law and only to prove your point. If one has to describe the lowest level in politics, it can now be called Nawabi level,” Shelar concluded.

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