Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde on Tuesday resigned from the state cabinet and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accepted his resignation. His office staff arrived at Sagar, Fadnavis’s official bungalow, on Tuesday morning and handed over the resignation papers to the CM.
Fadnavis, speaking to media in the Vidhan Bhavan premises, said, “Munde has tendered his resignation. I have accepted the resignation and forwarded the same to Governor for further action.”
While demand for Munde’s resignation was going on for the last couple of months, the pressure for the minister stepping down from the government increased on Monday evening as images of how brutally Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, was murdered, circulated on social media.
Ajit Pawar said Munde resigned on moral grounds, implying the decision was influenced by the controversy surrounding the Beed sarpanch murder case.
However, Dhananjay Munde, on the other hand, stated that his resignation was due to medical reasons, citing health concerns and the advice of his doctor.
This discrepancy raises questions about the real reason behind Munde’s resignation—whether it was purely a health-related decision or if political pressure played a role.
बीड जिल्ह्यातील मस्साजोगचे स्व. संतोष देशमुख यांच्या निर्घृण हत्येतील आरोपींना कठोरात कठोर शिक्षा व्हावी, ही माझी पहिल्या दिवसापासूनची ठाम मागणी आहे. काल समोर आलेले फोटो पाहून तर मन अत्यंत व्यथित झाले.
या प्रकरणाचा तपास पूर्ण झाला असून आरोपपत्र न्यायालयात दाखल झाले आहे. तसेच,…
— Dhananjay Munde (@dhananjay_munde) March 4, 2025
UBT leader Aditya Thackeray criticised the Mahayuti government for the delay, stating, “This government cannot give justice to its own karyakarta (party worker).”
हा महाराष्ट्र थांबलाच पाहिजे!
संतोष देशमुख ह्यांच्या हत्येच्या वेळेसचे माध्यमांत फिरणारे फोटो पाहून साऱ्या महाराष्ट्रासारखंच प्रचंड दुःख झालंय, चीड आलीये…. मुख्यमंत्र्यांनी आता ह्या प्रकरणी ज्यांना ते आश्रय देत होते त्यांचा राजीनामा मागितल्याचंही समजतंय…
पण ह्या…
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) March 4, 2025
Deshmukh was tortured and murdered in December (2024). The photos and videos circulated on social media are said to be part of the charge sheet submitted by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) before the Beed court.
According to the charge sheet filed by the CID, Walmik Karad and seven others are said to be the prime accused in the murder of Deshmukh. Karad, known as a close associate of Munde, has raised ethical concerns.
Along with Deshmukh family members, social activist Anjali Damania, Maratha leader Manoj Jarange and Mahayuti leaders–Suresh Dhas (BJP) and NCP Ajit Pawar faction MLA, Prakash Solanke have been vocal about the murder case and Munde’s resignation. Both Dhas and Solanke are from Beed district–the region which is said to be under tremendous clout of Munde.
On March 3, MVA leaders staged a protest against the ruling Mahayuti government, demanding the resignation of NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) minister Dhananjay Munde. The state budget session in the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhawan commenced on March 3 and will conclude on March 26.
On Sunday, while addressing the media ahead of the state budget session, Fadnavis responded to a query on Munde’s resignation, stating categorically that any decision on the matter would depend on moral considerations.
In fact, BJP ally and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has also supported the public outcry and the demand for Munde’s resignation.
“Munde is not directly involved, but his proximity to Karad warrants resignation of the minister on moral grounds,” the union minister has been quoted as saying in the media.
