‘Dawood role’ behind BSP man’s withdrawal

Strengthening its attacks on Maharashtra’s minister of state for home (city), Arif Naseem Khan, in the state assembly, BJP has alleged that the minister met an aide of notorious gangster Dawood Ibrahim in Dubai and asked him to pressurise the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from Mumbai South to withdraw from the Lok Sabha elections.

BJP MLA Devendra Phadanvis alleged that the minister had visited United Arab Emirates in the name of performing the umra, a pilgrimage to Mecca, and had met an Dawood aide then.

He further said Khan was sent by the Congress candidate in the constituency to ask the underworld don Dawood to get the BSP candidate, Mohammad Ali, to withdraw from the elections.

A withdrawal by the BSP candidate is seen as strengthening the Congress candidate’s chances. The minister replied that the allegations were baseless. “Phadanvis has alleged that a felicitation was organised by Asif Dadhi (considered a former aide of Dawood) at the Sameer medical shop in south Mumbai.

Neither the medical shop exists at the given location nor was any felicitation organised by Asif,” said Khan.

Phadanvis and his colleague Eknath Khadse have demanded an inquiry. “The wireless messages and  conversation records of the mobiles of Asif Dadhi and the minister should be investigated,” he said.