Mumbai: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday alleged that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik and his son have links with underworld people and they have bought land from blast convicts at cheaper rates. “Nawab Malik’s son bought land from a blast convict. The NCP leader has links to the underworld”, the former Maharashtra CM said, adding that he has evidence that can prove these charges. He made the explosive claims while addressing a press conference today.

“Nawab Malik has dealings with people from the Underworld people convicted in ’93 Mumbai bomb blasts case. He purchased land from convicts of the case on rates cheaper than market rates. Was this deal to save prime land from being forfeited under TADA law? asked Fadnavis.

Furthermore, he asserted that he will send all the documents to the competent authorities and NCP chief Sharad Pawar so that the veteran leader knows what his minister (Nawab Malik) has done.

The war of words between Malik and Fadnavis started after the NCP leader claimed that former Maharashtra CM had links with an alleged drug peddler Jaydeep Rana. Malik had also shared a picture of Fadnavis and Rana on Twitter. Reports had claimed that the picture was taken during the recording of Amruta Fadnavis’ river anthem project in 2018. For the unversed, Amruta is the wife of the former Maharashtra CM.

Denying Malik’s claims, Fadnavis had said that the photos tweeted by the NCP leader were of a person hired by an organisation called River March. “This person clicked pictures with everyone, including my wife and me,” Devendra Fadnavis said. “My wife works in the social field and is known to be outspoken. So when they can’t attack me, they attack my wife. We won’t cross decency but we will reply,” Fadnavis had said earlier this month, adding that he would ‘burst a bomb’ after Diwali by making revelations about the NCP leader’s ‘underworld links’.