MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday held a crucial meeting with NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, following mounting pressure for Munde's resignation over his alleged links to Walmik Karad, the mastermind behind the murder of Massajog Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
The meeting, which lasted over 90 minutes, reportedly focused on the political and legal fallout of the case. Party MLAs have been pressing Ajit Pawar to demand Munde’s resignation to ensure an impartial probe.
Critics argue that Munde's continued presence in the Mahayuti government could hinder a fair investigation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the murder.
“The mastermind of the Santosh Deshmukh murder case, Walmik Karad, is known to be close to Dhananjay Munde. Police failed to arrest Karad because of Munde’s influence. Instead, Karad surrendered voluntarily. It is alleged that Munde provided protection to Karad to shield him from arrest. As long as Munde remains a minister, justice for Deshmukh’s family cannot be ensured. Ajit Pawar appears hesitant to act, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must intervene and exercise his authority to remove Munde from the cabinet,” said Jitendra Ahwad, former minister and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA.
Responding to the allegations, Dhananjay Munde denied that his resignation was discussed during his meeting with Ajit Pawar. “The meeting was to extend New Year greetings and to present departmental plans. The speculation around my resignation is baseless,” he clarified.
However, within the Mahayuti alliance, voices are growing louder for Munde to step aside until the SIT probe is completed. A senior BJP minister, speaking on condition of anonymity, remarked, “The Beed Sarpanch murder case, initially confined to the district, has now become a state-wide issue with significant media attention. Public sentiment is strong, and the case is tarnishing the government’s image. If failed to take the resignation of Munde, then it will send the wrong message to the public at large. Ajit Pawar must take a decisive stand, or Chief Minister Fadnavis will need to act.”