Mamata Banerjee dials Sharad Pawar over Nawab Malik's arrest

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar on the phone over the arrest of Nawab Malik and expressed her solidarity with the Maharashtra minister.

The Enforcement Directorate arrested NCP leader Nawab Malik in connection with a case related to elements linked to Dawood Ibrahim and the underworld.

Mamata Banerjee said a strong and united Opposition must be built to counter the way the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are being used against Opposition leaders.

READ | ED arrests Nawab Malik in money laundering case linked to Dawood Ibrahim

Besides, Mamata Banerjee has always maintained that BJP uses Central agencies against Opposition parties to counter them politically.

Nawab Malik was issued summons to appear before the ED in a case registered against underworld don and terror financer Dawood Ibrahim, his brother Anees, Iqbal, aide Chota Shakeel and others. Nawab Malik's deal with an aide of Dawood Ibrahim Sardar Shahvali Khan and Haseena Parkar's bodyguard Salim Patel is under the scanner of the agency.

Last week, the ED started conducting searches at various locations across Mumbai for elements related to the underworld and Dawood Ibrahim. The ED raids were in connection with the recently registered case against Dawood Ibrahim by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

ALSO READ | Nawab Malik arrested by ED: What do we know so far

ALSO READ | ED found Nawab Malik-Dawood money trail: Sources