Dhananjay Munde under pressure to resign after aide linked to Beed sarpanch murder

Mumbai: Cutting across party lines, politicians, social activists and community leaders - staged a massive march and demanded the resignation of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde in the wake of his close aide Walmik Karad cropping up vis-a-vis the sensational murder of Santosh Deshmukh, a Sarpanch in the Beed district.

The December 9 murder of Deshmukh, a three-time Sarpanch of Massajog in Kaij tehsil, has snowballed into a political issue and even dominated the proceedings of the recently-concluded Nagpur winter session of Maharashtra legislature.

Yuvraj Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, the descendent of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and iconic social reformer Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, and Maratha reservation activist and Shivba Sangathana founder Manoj Jarange-Patil too participated in the morcha, which included political parties including Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and even from the ruling BJP.

The issue has come as a big embarrassment and challenge for Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the state Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar.

Munde, who is considered close to Fadnavis and Pawar, is the state Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister.

Munde’s cousin and BJP MLC Pankaja Munde is the state Environment, Climate Change and Animal Husbandry Minister.

During a rally, Deshmukh’s wife Ashwini Deshmukh, their daughter Vaibhavi and son Viraj were present in the meeting.

“Please give justice to my father,” appealed an emotional Vaibhavi.

NCP (SP) General Secretary and Mumbra-Kalwa MLA Dr. Jitendra Awhad, NCP (SP) Beed MP Bajrang Sonawane, BJP Ashthi MLA Suresh Dhas, NCP (SP) Beed MLA Sandeep Kshirsagar, BJP Ausa MLA Abhimanyu Pawar, political activist Dr Jyoti Mete too was present in the rally.

Anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania was present in the march, however, did not participate in the rally.

The protesters demanded the resignation of Munde and immediate arrest of Karad.

On 9 December, Massejog village Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh (45) was kidnapped and murdered brutally. Massejog is located in Kej tehsil of Beed. Four persons including local NCP worker Vishnu Chate have been arrested by police.

The Beed police formed a Special Investigation Team and later transferred the probe to State-CID.

Sambhaji Raje asked Fadnavis to take immediate action and ensure that Munde does not remain in ministry. “Yes…I am taking Dhananjay Munde’s name,” he said, adding that he was not sure whether Munde was asked to resign or he himself resigns as minister. “However, if he becomes the guardian minister of Beed, we will become the guardians of the district and ensure that such things are not repeated,” he said.

“I am requesting the Chief Minister…not to save the people who had been behind the murder of the Sarpanch,” said Jarange-Patil.

In his speech, Dhas lashed out at Munde. “Dhanu Bhau’s role as the erstwhile guardian minister is in question,” he said and also hit out at Pankaja for her silence on this issue.