Should have stepped down earlier: Pankaja Munde on Dhananjay Munde’s resignation

Mumbai, March 4 (IANS) Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde, on Tuesday, welcomed the resignation of Dhananjay Munde from Devendra Fadnavis-led cabinet and said that this should have happened earlier.

Pankaja Munde, the cabinet minister for Environment and Climate Change, speaking to the press, was unambiguous in her reaction to Dhananjay’s stepping down and said that morality should take precedence over all other considerations in such matters.

“I welcome his resignation. He should have resigned from the post earlier. Those who persuaded him to give up his position should have been more proactive, while he should also have been more prompt in tendering resignation,” Munde told reporters.

Pankaja Munde’s reaction assumes significance as both are cousins and became Ministers in Devendra Fadnavis’ government, one from the BJP and the other from the NCP.

Dhananjay Munde, the Minister for Food and Civil Supplies from NCP, has been in the firing line of opposition parties over his close aide Walmik Karad’s alleged role in the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village, in December last year.

Dhananjay Munde came under increasing attack of the Opposition as his close associate Wasim Karad emerged as the prime accused in the chilling murder case.

Munde was initially reluctant to tender his resignation, but it was under the insistence of CM Fadnavis that he stepped down. His resignation came a day after the photos and videos of Santosh Deshmukh’s murder went viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage. The chilling visuals showed the brutality inflicted on Deshmukh by the extortionists.

The Crime Investigation Department (CID)’s 1,200 page charge sheet only gave more fodder to the Opposition, who kept gunning for Munde’s resignation over links with the mastermind.

Walmik Karad is among the eight persons arrested for Sarpanch’s killing in Beed district. His name figured as the key accused, along with seven others, in the broad daylight murder of Santosh Deshmukh.

–IANS

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