Wankhede pays tribute at Ambedkar memorial; Malik says impact of his fight

The NCB Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, who was accused of forging his caste certificate by minister Nawab Malik, visited the memorial of Dr B R Ambedkar on the latter's death anniversary.

The Narcotics Control Bureau's (NCB) Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede, who was accused of forging his caste certificate by Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik, visited the memorial of Dr B R Ambedkar here on Monday on the latter's death anniversary.

Later, speaking to a news channel, Malik, without naming Wankhede, implied it is the impact of the fight he put up that some people have started coming to the 'Chaityabhoomi', the place where Ambedkar was cremated.

Wankhede in October this year led a raid on a cruise ship and drugs were claimed to have been seized onboard. Actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan Khan and some other people are accused in the cruise drugs case.

After the raid, Malik had levelled a string of allegations against Wankhede, including that the NCB official was a Muslim by birth and produced a bogus certificate to get the government job. He had claimed Wankhede did not belong to a Scheduled Caste.

Wankhede had denied the allegations levelled against him.

On Monday, Wankhede paid tributes to Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution and social reformer, at his memorial 'Chaityabhoomi' in Dadar area here.

Asked about the NCB official's visit, Malik told a TV channel, "Everyone has the right to pay respect to Babasaheb (Ambedkar). If someone believes that only people of a particular community can pay respect to him (Ambedkar), then it is a wrong assumption. I come here every year. Now, some people have started coming here. It is good.

Referring to the movie "Jai Bhim", released last month on an online platform, the minister said the film depicts injustice meted to members of a community and their struggle against it.

"I think the fight I have put up, its 'Jai Bhim' impact has started. Hence, people are coming to pay respects, he said, without naming anyone.

To a question by the reporter on whether he had seen Wankhede pay respects at the Chaityabhoomi earlier, Malik said, "I cannot talk about it. But, it is true he was offering namaz (prayer) with me."

Meanwhile, workers of a little-known organisation Bhimshakti Republican Sena objected to Wankhede's visit to the Chaityabhoomi and raised slogans against him.