Maha CM Shinde dubs jailed NCP leader Nawab Malik “anti-national”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday called jailed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former minister Nawab Malik ”anti-national” and refused to withdraw his remark made earlier against the Opposition. He also said that if calling an anti-national person an anti-national is a crime, then he would do it 50 times. Malik has been in jail since his arrest last year in a money-laundering case linked to the activities of Dawood Ibrahim and his aides. Shinde was speaking in the state Legislative Council a day after Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve submitted a breach of privilege notice against him for allegedly referring to Opposition legislators as ”anti-national”. On Sunday, on the eve of the Budget session of the state legislature, the opposition had boycotted the customary tea party hosted by the chief minister.