Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], October 11 (ANI): Refuting Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik's allegations of a connection between the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and BJP, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday said that the anti-drug agency is an independent entity and its activities have no connections with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

While talking to ANI, he said, "NCB is an independent body. It has no connections with BJP. When it comes to its activities and functioning, political parties are completely unrelated and irrelevant. Malik is deliberately making false allegations against the BJP. NCB is doing its work correctly."

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Nawab Malik on Saturday alleged that there exists a connection between the Zonal Director of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai unit and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders.

"We think there might have been some talks between Sameer Wankhede and BJP leaders," he added.

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"After the raid on a cruise ship off Mumbai coast, NCB's Sameer Wankhede had said that eight to ten people were detained. But the truth is that 11 people were detained. Later, three people; Rishabh Sachdeva, Prateek Gaba and Amir Furniturewala were released," he claimed.

Malik then questioned that on whose directions did the NCB release those three people when a total of 11 people were detained after the cruise ship raid.

An NCB team busted an alleged drugs party on the Cordelia Cruise ship which was on its way to Goa at mid-sea on October 2.

The narcotics control agency on Saturday arrested a drug peddler following questioning in the drugs-on-cruise case, taking the number of total arrests in the case to 19. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)