Nawab Malik Drops "Hydrogen Bomb", Attacks Fadnavis Over Underworld Links

Nawab Malik said Devendra Fadnavis has "connections with underworld members" and that he, as Chief Minister, protected those behind a fake currency notes racket investigated by Sameer Wankhede

Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik dropped his "hydrogen bomb" on Wednesday morning - the latest in an exchange of swipes with former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis that began with the arrest of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan in the drugs-on-cruise case. Thought of the day 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/PkLiHS3GVW

Mr Malik said the senior BJP leader has "connections with underworld members" and that he, as Chief Minister, protected those behind a fake currency notes racket investigated by Sameer Wankhede - the NCB officer removed from the Aryan Khan case over Rs 8 crore payoff claims.

He also accused Mr Fadnavis of "diverting my issue", and said the former Chief Minister was trying to "defend one officer (Mr Wankhede) ... a man who is framing innocent people in fake cases"; Mr Malik has routinely accused the opposition BJP of using the anti-drugs agency to entrap Aryan Khan.

An hour later Mr Fadnavis responded with a quote from author George Bernard Shaw that said: "I learned long ago never to wrestle with a pig. You get dirty, and besides, the pig likes it."