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Nawab Malik is an Indian politician associated with the Nationalist Congress Party. He is the National Spokesperson and Mumbai President of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Wiki/Biography
Mohammed Nawab Malik was born on Saturday, 20 June 1959 (age 64 years; as of 2023) in the small Dhuswa village of Utraula Tehsil, Balrampur district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, close to the India-Nepal border. His zodiac sign is Gemini. Initially, he attended Noor Baug Municipal School, and later, he enrolled in Anjuman Islam High School, CST. In 1979, He pursued a Bachelor of Arts at Burhani College, Mumbai, but quit college in the second year. Since college, he actively participated in social reforming activities, and he also worked with the student movement and Yuva Congress.
Family
Parents & Siblings
Nawab Malik belongs to a Muslim family. His family migrated from Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai for better prospects in 1970. His father, Haji Malik Mohammed Islam, initially worked as a rag-picker in Dongri, a notorious neighbourhood of Mumbai. Later, Malik helped his father launch a scrap buying-selling business, which flourished over time. Haji Malik died on 5 March 2015.
His sister, Saeeda Khan, is a doctor and a politician. His brother, Abdul Rashid Kaptan Malik is also a politician associated with NCP who became the municipal councillor of Ward No 170 (L ward) in the 2017 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections.
Wife & Children
He is married to Mehjabin Malik. Together, they have four children, two sons Faraz Mailk and Aamir Malik, and two daughters, Nilofer Malik and Sana Malik Shaikh. His daughter Sana Malik Shaikh is a politician, architect, entrepreneur, and social activist, who has served as Maharashtra unit vice-president of Rashtravadi Yuvati Congress, a wing of the NCP. His son Aamir Malik is an advocate.
Nilofer Malik is married to Sameer Shabbir Khan, a businessman who was arrested by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in an alleged drugs case in 2021.
Address
Noor Manzil, LBS Marg, Opp. Sheetal Cinema, Kurla(W), Mumbai- 400070
Career
Once a scrap dealer, Malik began his political journey when he participated in a protest against a fee hike by the University of Mumbai in 1979. The protest became the turning point of his life, which led him to pursue a career in activism and politics. Malik ventured into politics when he joined the Yuva Congress. Thereafter, he worked with the Indian National Congress (INC) under the leadership of Indian politician Sanjay Gandhi.
Sanjay Vichar Manch (1984)
1984 Indian General Elections
After the death of Sanjay Gandhi, his widow, Maneka Gandhi, founded the political party ‘Sanjay Vichar Manch.’ In 1984, Malik contested the elections for the first time from the Mumbai North-East Lok Sabha constituency seat on a ticket from the Sanjay Vichar Manch (SMV). Malik got less than 3,000 votes, and he lost the polls. Congress candidate Gurudas Kamat won the seat by a margin of 96,274.
Samajwadi Party (SP) (1994–2004)
He joined the Samajwadi Party in 1994.
1995 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections
In 1995, Nawab Malik, on a ticket from the Samajwadi Party, contested the Nehrunagar Assembly seat, but he was defeated by Suryakant Mahadik (from Shiv Sena) by a margin of 14,058.
1996 Nehrunagar By-election
In 1996, a bypoll was declared on the Nehrunagar Assembly seat after Shiv Sena candidate Suryakant Mahadik’s election was set aside by the Supreme Court. Malik contested the seat on a ticket from the Samajwadi Party and got elected as an MLA for the first time.
1999 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections
In 1999, Nawab Malik, on a ticket from the Samajwadi Party, won the Nehrunagar Assembly seat by defeating Manohar Salvi (from Shiv Sena) by a margin of 18458 votes. He was one of only two SP winners across Maharashtra. After the 1999 Maharashtra Assembly polls, Samajwadi Party decided to become a part of the coalition government led by Congress and NCP. SP’s Maharashtra chief Abu Azmi picked Malik to become a minister of state in the coalition government. In 2001, Malik was expelled by SP citing his anti-party activities.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) (2001-Present)
In October 2001, after being expelled from the SP, he joined the NCP. Thereafter, Malik was made housing minister in the state cabinet.
2004 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections
In 2004, Nawab Malik, on a ticket from the Nationalist Congress Party, won the Nehrunagar Assembly seat by defeating Suryakant Mahadik (from Shiv Sena) by a margin of 30261 votes. On 1 November 2004, he started heading the Ministry of Labour (Maharashtra) in the Second Deshmukh ministry. In 2005, he had to resign as Minister of Labour after being charged with corruption. Three years later, he was brought back in the same portfolio. When Vilasrao Deshmukh resigned the office in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, Ashok Chavan was sworn in as Chief Minister of Maharashtra. In the First Ashok Chavan ministry, Malik continued to head the Ministry of Labour until 6 November 2009.
2009 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections
In 2009, Nawab Malik, on a ticket from the Nationalist Congress Party, won the Anushakti Nagar Assembly seat by defeating Tukaram Ramkrishna Kate (from Shiv Sena) with a margin of 6825 votes. In the elections, a coalition government of Congress and NCP was formed with Ashok Chavan (of Congress) as the chief minister. Although the Congress-NCP government did not appoint him as a Cabinet Minister, NCP named him as the spokesperson in 2012.
2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections
In 2014, Nawab Malik, on a ticket from the Nationalist Congress Party contested the Anushakti Nagar Assembly seat, but he was defeated by Tukaram Ramkrishna Kate (from Shiv Sena) by a margin of 1007 votes.
2019 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Elections
In 2019, Nawab Malik, on a ticket from the Nationalist Congress Party, won the Anushakti Nagar Assembly seat by defeating Tukaram Ramkrishna Kate (from Shiv Sena) with a margin of 12751 votes. After the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, a state-level political coalition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was formed under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar of the NCP, and Sonia Gandhi of the INC, along with the support from the Samajwadi Party, PWPI, Prahar Janshakti Party, and several other political parties including Independent MLAs. As a Cabinet Minister in the Government of Maharashtra from 30 December 2019 to 27 March 2022, Malik headed the Ministry of Minority Development and Aukaf Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. From 9 January 2020 to 27 March 2022, he was the guardian minister of the Parbhani and the Gondia districts. In 2019, Malik was appointed the party president for its Mumbai unit after Sachin Ahir resigned from the NCP to join the Shiv Sena. In the aftermath of his arrest in the Money Laundering Case of 1999, Maharashtra BJP demanded Nawab Malik’s resignation from NCP. Thereafter, NCP decided to retain Malik as a minister but without any portfolios.
Controversies
Accused of Corruption (2003)
In 2003, social activist Anna Hazare alleged that Malik was among the four corrupt ministers in the Congress-NCP government who Malik stopped the reconstruction of the Jariwala Chawl in Mumbai by MHADA to benefit a private builder. The P. B. Sawant commission was constituted on 1 September 2003 to investigate corruption charges against 4 ministers of the Government of Maharashtra, namely, Nawab Malik, Padmasinh Patil, Suresh Jain, and Vijaykumar Gavit. As per the commission’s report, submitted in February 2005, Nawab Malik, Padmasinh Patil, and Suresh Jain were formally accused of the charge. Although Malik attributed the decision to the previous BJP-Sena government, he had to resign as Minister of Labour, meanwhile, Gavit was allowed to continue as he was found guilty of maladministration, not corruption.
Nawab-Patil clash in Deonar (2016)
In November 2016, the Deonar Police booked NCP leaders Nawab Malik and Sanjay Dina Patil after a scuffle broke out between the supporters of Patil and Malik during the party meeting at the Chembur. The police had booked NCP leaders, and their supporters for attempted murder, Arms Act, and rioting. Apparently, Malik alleged that Patil had fired at the venue from his weapon. At the same time, Patil alleged that Malik’s supporters attempted to kill him using swords and choppers. Later, Patil and Malik were released on a bail and had ended the quarrel after the intervention of the senior party leader Sunil Tatkare.
Accused Anna Hazare of taking money to sit on hunger strikes (2019)
In 2019, Indian social activist Anna Hazare asked his supporters to file a defamation lawsuit against Nawab Malik after Malik accused Hazare of taking money to sit on hunger strikes. During a debate on a news channel, Nawab Malik claimed that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) funds Anna Hazare for his hunger strikes. At that time, Anna Hazare was on a hunger strike at Ralegan Siddhi protesting against the Centre and the Maharashtra government for not setting up a Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta in the state. Following his controversial statement, Hazare’s lawyer, Milind Pawar, sent a legal notice to Malik seeking a public apology for the defamatory remarks made by him. The notice had also warned Malik of a defamation suit if he failed to tender an apology. Thereafter, Nawab Malik tendered a written apology to the veteran social worker for the defamatory allegation. Pawar, while addressing the media said,
After getting Malik’s response to our notice, Anna has said we should pardon him as good sense has prevailed over him and he has regretted his remarks.”
Nawab Malik vs Sameer Wankhede
In 2021, Malik made headlines when the former Narcotics Control Bureau’s zonal director Sameer Wankhede arrested Malik’s son-in-law in an alleged drugs case. Wankhede had to face many serious allegations from Malik who accused him of using a forged scheduled caste certificate to clear the UPSC examination. Additionally, Malik allegedly leaked a birth certificate on social media, stating that Wankhede was a Muslim and also posted photos of his sister. Consequently, Wankhede’s father filed a defamation suit against Malik before the Bombay High Court, which directed Malik to refrain from making such public statements or using social media against Wankhede. After an independent witness in the Mumbai cruise drug case told the agency that some investigators in the case were involved in extortion, Wankhede had to face a departmental vigilance probe. In November 2021, NCB’s special team from Delhi took the drug case and Wankheded had to step down from investigating the Mumbai cruise drug case.
Money Laundering Case of 1999
On 23 February 2022, Malik was arrested by Enforcement Directorate (ED) for an alleged money laundering case of 1999 and his alleged links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. Reportedly, Malik bought an ancestral property from one Munira Plumber through Dawood’s sister Haseena Parkar (now deceased) in suburban Mumbai for an amount of Rs. 55 lakh instead of its then estimated worth of Rs. 3.3 crore. Allegedly, the offence committed by Malik is not giving the owners the due consideration for the said property, which is currently valued at Rs. 300 crore. Malik is believed to have usurped the property through M/s Solidus Investments Private Limited, a firm owned and controlled by family members of Malik with the active connivance of members of the D-Gang through Parkar. Munira Plumber revealed that she had given the power of attorney of the said land to Salim Patel (a close associate of Parkar) for removing the encroachments from the said property and not to sell it. In 2021, Plumber discovered from the media that her property was sold to Malik. On 11 August 2023, Malik was granted interim bail for two months on medical grounds by the Supreme Court of India after 1.5 years of custody.
Car Collection
Asset & Properties
Movable Assets
- Deposits in Banks: Rs. 6,96,214
- Bonds, Debentures and Shares in companies: Rs. 1,13,37,412
- LIC or other insurance Policies: Rs. 5,00,000
- Personal loans/advance given: Rs. 16,41,233
- Motor Vehicles: Rs. 10,98,099
Immovable Assets
- Agricultural Land: Rs. 1,36,65,541
- Residential Buildings: Rs. 2,47,35,000 (as of 2019)
Net Worth
Rs. 5,29,39,335 (as of 2019)
Facts/Trivia
- In an interview after Malik parted ways with SP, he said that he disagreed with the SP’s transition to a Muslim-centric party in Maharashtra.
I had ideological differences, I was against the communalisation of politics. Some leaders were trying to turn the SP into Muslim League”
- Nawab Malik is actively associated with the non-profit charitable organization Rehbar Foundation. His daughter Sana Malik Shaikh is a trustee of the Rehbar Foundation.