Majeed Memon quits NCP citing personal reasons

Mumbai, Nov 24: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Majeed Memon on Thursday quit the Sharad Pawar-led party, citing personal reasons.

"My gratitude to NCP Chief Hon'ble Sharad Pawarji for giving me honour and invaluable guidance during my 16 years with NCP. For personal reasons I cease to be a member of NCP with immediate effect. My best wishes always with Pawar Saheb and the Party," Memon announced on Twitter.

He is a criminal lawyer by profession and leader of Nationalist Congress Party.

Memon is a Member of Parliament (M.P) of Rajya Sabha. He is a noted criminal lawyer who defended Indian personalities including politicians, human rights activists and film actors. He defended high-profile Indians overseas in various extradition matters. Memon is also a human rights activist.

Memon has also represented the many suspects of 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai. He has also defended several film stars and big personalities in criminal cases.

In March, NCP leader Majeed Memon's praise for the PM came in March this year when ministers in the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra were facing fire from central investigating agencies.

News agency PTI quoted Memon as saying that the Opposition must study the reasons Modi and the BJP keep winning elections.

"If Narendra Modi wins people's mandate and is also shown as world's most popular leader, there must be some qualities in him or good work he may have done which the opposition leaders are unable to find," he had said.

Memon told PTI that the opposition should introspect why Modi keeps getting such a "positive mandate" and dismissed suggestions of manipulation of EVMs, an oft-repeated complaint of the Congress and other political parties.