Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Dhananjay Munde, the Minister of Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, following Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s recommendation.
Munde, a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA, submitted his resignation earlier in the day, citing health concerns as a key reason. His resignation was swiftly accepted by Fadnavis and forwarded to the Governor for approval.
In a post on X, Munde said that his health had deteriorated in recent days, prompting doctors to advise medical treatment. However, he also alluded to the ongoing controversy surrounding the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district, expressing deep distress over recent developments in the case.
“My firm demand from the very first day has been that the accused in the brutal murder of late Santosh Deshmukh should receive the harshest possible punishment. Seeing the photos that emerged yesterday has deeply pained my heart,” he wrote. He further emphasized that a chargesheet had been filed and a judicial inquiry proposed, but given his health concerns, he had chosen to step down.
However, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat hinted that Munde’s resignation might not solely be due to health reasons. “There could be other factors behind his decision. But action has been taken in the Beed incident—the accused has been arrested, and a chargesheet has been filed. As far as I know, Dhananjay Munde’s name is not in the chargesheet,” Shirsat said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray also cast doubt on the resignation’s reasoning. “Munde cites health issues, but Ajit Pawar claims it was a moral decision. What is the real reason?” he questioned.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis confirmed the resignation, saying, “Dhananjay Munde has tendered his resignation today. I have accepted it and forwarded it to the Governor for further action.” Sources suggest that Fadnavis had personally urged Munde to step down.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray went further, arguing that Munde’s resignation was insufficient and calling for the dismissal of the entire Fadnavis-led government. “Mere resignation is not enough. This government should be dismissed. Over the past few years, law and order in Maharashtra have collapsed. If no action is taken, who would want to invest in Maharashtra? Neither women nor men are safe in this state,” he said.
Munde’s resignation comes in the wake of allegations surrounding his close aide, Walmik Karad, who was sent to judicial custody in January in connection with a ₹2 crore extortion case linked to the murder of Beed district sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
(Inputs from ANI)
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