Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde resigns amid row over sarpanch murder

Maharashtra state minister Dhananjay Munde submitted his resignation on Tuesday to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis amid a row over the murder of the sarpanch of Beed.

Dhananjay Munde tendered his resignation to CM Fadnavis at his official residence through his private secretary Prashant Bhamre and officer on special duty Prashant Joshi.

CM Fadnavis announced that Munde had been relieved from his post, as the state minister of food and civil supplies, on the premises of the state legislature. He stated that the resignation had now been submitted to the governor of the state for further processing.

Munde’s resignation comes amidst escalating controversy around his close aide Walmik Karad being named as the mastermind behind the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in December 2024.

Dhananjay Munde was not only the MLA of Parli in Beed, but was also Beed district’s guardian minister. Videos and screenshots of the murder found their way online and became viral, inviting more flak regarding the NCP leader’s relations with the accused in the sarpanch’s murder.

NCP leader Dhananjay Munde issued a response in a post on X regarding the murder after submitting his resignation saying, “My firm demand from the very first day has been that the accused in the brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh from Massajog in Beed district should receive the harshest possible punishment. Seeing the photos that came up yesterday has deeply pained my heart.”

Munde added that the probe into the case was complete, and a judicial inquiry into the matter had also been proposed.

He addressed his resignation and said, “Recalling my sense of discernment and considering that my health has not been well for the past few days, the doctors have advised me to undergo treatment for the next few days. Therefore, for medical reasons as well, I have submitted my resignation from my ministerial position in the cabinet to the Chief Minister.”

The decision to ask for Munde’s resignation was reportedly taken during a meeting last night between CM Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the chief of the NCP.

Ajit Pawar also held a separate meeting with Dhananjay Munde regarding his resignation yesterday after his talk with chief minister Fadnavis.

Opposition reacts

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray has criticised the Maharashtra government for the delay in relieving Munde of his post as a minister and failing to provide justice to the family of the sarpanch. He stated that in such a situation the government should be dismissed.

Sanjay Raut has also called for Munde to be charged in connection with the murder of the Beed sarpanch.

Beed MLA, Sandeep Kshirsagar told an HT correspondent, “there is uproar among people of Need and an bandh is observed with demand for justice. If the meeting to demand the extortion money was held on the official bungalow of Munde, he too should be made a co- accused in the case.”