Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has accepted the resignation of NCP MLA and Minister Dhananjay Munde, forwarding it to the Governor for further action. CM Fadnavis confirmed the resignation, stating, “Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde has tendered his resignation today. I have accepted the resignation and sent it to the Governor for further course of action.”
Sources reveal that CM Fadnavis had personally requested Munde to step down from his position. This decision follows the arrest of Munde’s close associate, Walmik Karad, who was sent to judicial custody in January in connection with a Rs 2 crore extortion case tied to the murder of a sarpanch in Beed district.
The resignation has sparked criticism from opposition leaders. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed outrage on social media, accusing the Maharashtra government of protecting Munde for too long. “High time. Shame that Munde was allowed to continue, was defended, was protected by the government till date. Truth can’t be hidden,” she wrote on X, referencing the emergence of disturbing images of the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch.
Congress leader Saran Patel also weighed in, claiming that Munde’s aide Karad was the mastermind behind the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, further calling out the government’s lack of accountability. “Devendra Fadnavis has still not demanded the minister’s resignation,” Patel posted, highlighting the government’s delayed action.
The case centers on the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village, who was killed in December 2022 after allegedly resisting an extortion attempt related to a windmill project. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis had earlier vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice, stating that no accused would be spared.