A DAY after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar left it to NCP Minister Dhananjay Munde to take the call on his resignation, NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad said enough hints had been given to the minister to resign and take moral responsibility. ''Ajit Pawar had clearly said that as a moral responsibility, he had resigned as the water resources minister when allegations were made against him. Ajit Pawar has given enough hints to Munde to resign,'' said Awhad. Speaking to reporters in Nashik on Sunday, Ajit Pawar said, “ In 2010 when I was the water resource minister, allegations were made against me.I had then tendered my resignation. After the 26/11 Mumbai attack, the chief minister had to resign after some allegations were made. Even then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri had to resign after a train accident.You should ask Munde whether he will quit owning moral responsibility.'' Awhad said Munde should take a cue from what Ajit Pawar has said and resign. ''Ajit Pawar has not directly said, but has said indirectly that Munde should resign,'' he said. The opposition, MVA, has been demanding the resignation of Munde after his close associate Walmik Karad was arrested in an extortion case linked to the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Munde has repeatedly said he has left the decision about his resignation to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Munde is also facing allegations from activist Anjali Damania in a Rs 88 crore ‘'scam’ in the agriculture department. Damania has alleged that the ''scam'' took place when Munde held the agriculture portfolio in the previous Mahayuti coalition government in Maharashtra. She alleged that the agriculture department had purchased fertilisers and equipment for distribution to farmers at an inflated rate.
