According to Nawab Malik, Pravin Darekar falsely pretended to be a labourer in order to win the Mumbai Bank Election

Pravin Darekar, the BJP's Leader of the Opposition, has been elected chairman of the Mumbai District Central Cooperative Bank, and the Maharashtra Government is investigating his election to the bank from the labourer category. NCP Chief Spokesman and Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik had urged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to take appropriate action against him for falsely claiming to be a labourer under sections 199, 200, 420, and 37 of the Indian Criminal Code, as well as other applicable laws, a day after the cooperation department's order.

"On January 3, 2022, the Divisional Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies issued an order declaring Pravin Darekar ineligible as a labourer." Darekar is not a certified labourer, yet he has been a Director and Chairman of the Mumbai District Central Co-operative Bank for several years. According to section 78A of the Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960, Darekar is not qualified to be elected as a director from any category for the next year because he got membership by providing fraudulent information," Malik added.

Darekar, according to Malik, won the Mumbai Bank election by portraying himself as a labourer, although he is now the state legislative council's head of the opposition. Darekar's earnings are also very substantial, and he pays a lot of income tax. Surprisingly, the Divisional Joint Registrar of Co-operative Societies stated in its ruling that Darekar's affidavit presented to the Election Commission as a legislator did not include crores of rupees in assets or professional entries. A legislator who earns Rs 2.5 lakhs as the Leader of the Opposition cannot be a labourer. In the wake of yesterday's order, Darekar may have to fight to save his position as Leader of the Opposition in the state legislative council.

Image Courtesy: Twitter@Officeof NM