Pressure mounts as opposition demands ouster following chilling revelations in sarpanch's abduction and killing; CM Fadnavis accepts resignation
Mumbai: In a major embarrassment for the BJP-led Mahayuti government, cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde on Tuesday tendered his resignation. The opposition demanded that he should be made co-accused in a brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, slain Sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district. Mr. Munde’s close aide Walmik Karad is the alleged mastermind behind the murder.
The development comes after it was revealed in the chargesheet that assailants had recorded 15 videos, clicked eight photos, and made two video calls while torturing and killing Deshmukh.
Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan accepted the resignation of Mr. Munde, who was food and civil supply minister, as per the recommendation of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Since the beginning of the budget session of Maharashtra Legislature, the opposition parties have been pressing the demands of the resignation of Mr. Munde and Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate. Mr. Kokate was convicted by a magistrate court in the cheating case and sentenced to two years in Jail. However, a district court has stayed his conviction.
Deshmukh was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9 last year allegedly for attempting to stop an extortion bid targeting an energy company in the Beed district.
After the photos and video of the brutal death from the police charge sheet went viral, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday night called a meeting at his official residence Devgiri Bungalow. Ignoring the protocol, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also joined the meeting at his deputy’s residence. As decided in the meeting, Mr. Munde submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister on Tuesday morning.
“I have accepted his resignation and sent it to the Maharashtra Governor for further action,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
In a post on X, Mr. Munde said that he was deeply saddened after seeing the photos of Santosh Deshmukh’s brutal murder. “Listening to my 'inner voice and due to my bad health, I have offered my resignation,” he said.
In the same post, he also said it had always been his demand that those guilty of the torture and killing of Santosh Deshmukh get the "harshest punishment".
Pankaja Munde, cousin of Dhananjay Munde and Maharashtra Environment minister, said that he should have resigned much earlier and he should not have been inducted into the cabinet.
“At least, he would have been spared of all this trouble, pain and humiliation. I feel he should have resigned long ago. But then it is better late than never,” Ms Munde said.
Speaking with the reporters, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray said that mere resignation of Mr. Munde is not enough. The government should be dismissed and President's rule should be imposed in the state. “Revised charge sheet should be filed in this case,” he said.
