Is Raut more precious than Malik: AIMIM leader asks Pawar

Aurangabad, Apr 6 (PTI) AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel on Wednesday asked why NCP chief Sharad Pawar did not show "urgency" to discuss with Prime Minister Narendra Modi the issue of his party minister Nawab Malik's arrest while immediately raising the issue of central agencies' action against Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut.

Pawar met Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday and later told reporters that he talked to the prime minister about the "injustice" being done to Raut.

On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had attached assets worth more than Rs 11.15 crore of Raut's wife and two of his associates in a money-laundering investigation linked to certain land deals.

"It is our duty to bring to the prime minister's notice the injustice being done to a journalist and a senior Parliamentarian," Pawar said after his meeting with Modi.

Referring to Pawar's statement, Jaleel said in a tweet, "Discussed only about Sanjay Raut? Why? Did u not feel the urgency to discuss with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when your own party minister Nawab Malik was arrested? Or is Sanjay Raut more precious than Nawab! You have your own games to play." "Do you think that something wrong has been done by your minister (Nawab Malik)?" the MIM leader, who represents Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency, asked Pawar.

Malik was arrested by the ED on February 23 in a money-laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

NCP shares power with Shiv Sena and Congress in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray.