Allies BJP, NCP trade blows over Beed sarpanch murder

Walmik Karad, a close aide of Munde has been arrested in a case linked to this murder. The opposition has already demanded the ouster of Munde from the state cabinet for impartial inquiry into the case while Dhas, who has been demanding justice for Deshmukh has yet not named Munde. Though he has repeatedly hinted at the NCP minister’s links with Karad.

However, Dhas’ open targeting of Ajit Pawar has not gone down too well with the BJP’s ally NCP. The party’s youth wing president Suraj Chavan alleged that Dhas was purposely playing politics in the Deshmukh murder case. “If Dhas wants to ask a question to Ajit dada, then should we ask whether the Home department was sleeping as Walmik Karad came forward and surrendered even before his arrest. Don’t you trust the home department and home minister for impartial inquiry?” Chavan said. The home department is headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Chavan appealed to Fadnavis to control Dhas. “He is trying to vitiate the environment of Mahayuti. If he tries to defame Ajit dada, we will be left with no option but to reply with the same coin,” he said.

Meanwhile, social activist Anjali Damania who too has been raising this issue asked questions on the inclusion of police officials from Beed in the SIT formed to probe the case. “Will the police officials from Beed conduct an impartial probe of Beed’s boss?” She asked, posting a photograph of one of the members of the SIT hugging Karad.