He roundly flayed the personal attacks by Malik on himself, his sister (Jasmeen, a MNS leader), his retired 77-year-old father and his deceased mother in the past fortnight by the NCP leader.
“I strongly condemn all this. I don’t know why the minister is doing all this. The cases are sub-judice. I will give a suitable reply at the appropriate time,” Wankhede said, speaking briefly with media persons late this evening.
I condemn this. This is false information. In December I was in Mumbai, the time when he said I was in Dubai. This… https://t.co/aPSjy9Jx3F
— ANI (@ANI) 1634826551000
He warned that since he is a serving government officer, he would seek the advice of his seniors and then proceed against Malik legally.
On Malik’s charges of “lodging fake cases” against Bollywood personalities for ‘vasuli’ (extortion) purposes, Wankhede said he was not indulging in some child’s play to indulge in such acts, but attempting to cleanse Maharashtra and Goa of the drugs menace. He said, “The word ‘extortion’ is a disgusting term. I did go to Maldives after taking competent authority’s permission. I went with my children and family after taking govt’s permission. If he calls that extortion, then this is not acceptable.”
The word ‘extortion’ is a disgusting term. I did go to Maldives after taking competent authority’s permission. I we… https://t.co/N0msGcaVr6
— ANI (@ANI) 1634826711000
My best wishes are with him. I am just a government employee. He is a minister. If we want to put me in jail for se… https://t.co/Za0tthkiC5
— ANI (@ANI) 1634826860000
He also denied the NCP leader’s allegation that he was in Dubai-Maldives and claimed he has never visited those countries and this could be verified from records like his passport.
Wankhede said that he was an ordinary Central government servant trying to do his duties, and far from being demoralised by Malik’s attacks, he would continue to perform with renewed vigour against the drug mafias.
The NCB chief has been under fire from the NCP leader who had continuously held that in connivance with some Bharatiya Janata Party activists, the agency is only gunning for Bollywood personalities who are “soft targets” by registering fraudulent cases based on WhatsApp cases.
Malik virtually accused the NCB of indulging in ‘vasuli’ (extortion) and said that after his exposes with evidence, in 6 months, Wankhede would be sacked and within a year he would be jailed, finally eliciting a response from the agency’s regional head.
