Amid demand for NCP minister Dhananjay Munde’s resignation following the murder of Massajog sarpanch Sasntosh Deshmukh from Beed district, Deputy Chief Minister and party chief Ajit Pawar on Monday clarified that no action will be taken until the three ongoing investigations name anyone. Speaking on the issue for the first time after his return from a private foreign visit, weeks after the controversy erupted, Pawar said, “There are SIT, judicial and CID probes going on. Let the agencies complete their investigations. If the probe names anyone, only then there will be action.” The statement indicates that the party has rejected the possibility of ouster of Munde from the state cabinet. Pawar’s statement came on a day when an all-party delegation held a meeting with Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan, demanding Munde’s ouster. The delegation also included ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Suresh Dhas. According to sources, Pawar and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting on Monday night to discuss the controversy surrounding Munde and the arrest of his close aide Walmik Karad in a case linked to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh. Earlier, Munde met Pawar for over an hour. “The issue of Santosh Deshmukh’s killing and the demand for resignation did not come up during my meeting with party president and DCM Ajit Pawar,” he said and asked how can he stop those demanding his resignation. “I have been demanding stern action against those involved in the killing of Santosh Deshmukh,” he said. NCP veteran leader and former minister Chhagan Bhujbal also came to Munde’s defence on Monday saying that there was no need for him to step down at this juncture. “Munde’s resignation is being sought. I want to tell you that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has clearly said that the government will conduct a thorough investigation and take action against everyone found guilty. Why are they demanding Munde’s resignation before that? Has anything come out of the investigation? If you have anything, give it to the police. Until nothing comes out of the investigation, it is wrong to demand his resignation. I don’t think this is right,” he told reporters. Bhujbal recalled how he resigned after the multi-crore stamp scam involving Abdul Telgi in 2003. “The CBI investigated and ruled that I was not guilty as my name was not there in the chargesheet. However, I lost my post and my image was tarnished. I was hurt. But after that Sharad Pawar made me minister again,” he said adding, “I have suffered a lot. It is not right to resign without a reason, without proof.”
