Don't link Muslims to terror: AIMIM's Jaleel slams NCP over Malik's arrest

The charges against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik must be probed but Muslims must not be linked to terror, Aurangabad Lok Sabha MP and AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel said on Sunday.

He said his party stood in support of Mailk, who has been jailed, while others in the MVA government, who also have cases against their names, are yet to be arrested.

The MP alleged NCP activists had gathered in large numbers outside the Enforcement Directorate when their chief Sharad Pawar had appeared for questioning, but that kind of zeal and anger was missing after Malik's arrest.

"If need be, we will take to the streets in large numbers to support Malik. We stand by Nawab Malik because we say don't connect Muslims of this country with terror. The support being offered by MVA constituents to Malik is just a show off," Jaleel claimed.

Speaking on local issues, Jaleel said his party will oppose the visit of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday to attend a function linked to laying of gas pipelines here, adding that the city needed water lines more.

He also said the land allotted by the Aurangabad administration to build low-cost houses for the poor under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) was unsuitable as it has a hillock, encroachments and high tension overhead power lines.