Mumbai, March 4: Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde resigned on Tuesday amid growing controversy surrounding the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Munde, who served as the state’s Minister of Food and Civil Supplies, submitted his resignation to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the CM’s official residence through his private secretary Prashant Bhamre and officer on special duty Prashant Joshi.
Following the submission, Chief Minister Fadnavis confirmed that Munde had been relieved of his duties and that his resignation had been forwarded to the Governor for further processing. The resignation comes amid escalating concerns over Munde's alleged association with Walmik Karad, who has been identified as the mastermind behind the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Beed, in December 2024.
Munde, also the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Parli in Beed and Beed district’s guardian minister, faced increased scrutiny after disturbing videos and images related to the murder surfaced online. These revelations sparked further controversy about the NCP leader’s links to the accused in the crime.
In a post on social media platform X, Munde responded to the outrage following his resignation, stating: "From the very first day, I have firmly demanded that the accused in the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh from Massajog in Beed should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. The photos that emerged yesterday have deeply pained me." He also highlighted that the investigation into the case had been completed and a judicial inquiry into the matter had been proposed.
The decision to seek Munde’s resignation reportedly came after a meeting between CM Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the leader of the NCP. Ajit Pawar later met with Munde to discuss the resignation, following his conversation with the chief minister.
Opposition reaction
Opposition leaders, particularly from Shiv Sena (UBT), have sharply criticized the delay in Munde’s resignation. Aditya Thackeray, a prominent leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), condemned the Maharashtra government for not acting sooner. He demanded that the government take immediate action to provide justice for the sarpanch's family and suggested that the government should be dismissed over its handling of the situation.
