Mumbai: Nawab Malik was on Wednesday night sent to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody till March 3.
The Maharashtra minister was arrested earlier in the day by ED in connection with a money-laundering case against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his associates.
Even as BJP demanded the resignation of the senior NCP leader from the state cabinet, the Uddhav Thackeray-headed Maharashtra government ruled out that possibility.
Another state minister Chhagan Bhujbal said the decision was taken at a meeting of alliance partners Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress with Thackeray.
“After a meeting with the CM, all three have parties agreed on this. Malik was arrested in a wrong manner. He is being punished for attacking the Opposition. We will fight for justice. They (Centre) are putting pressure on our ministers to bring about a collapse of our government,” Bhujbal was quoted as saying by ANI.
State ministers will stage a protest demonstration against ED and BJP-led central government in Mumbai on Thursday.
