Beed sarpanch murder Demand for Dhananjay Munde's resignation premature says Bhujbal

Mumbai, Jan 6 (PTI) NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday said demands for the resignation of party colleague and Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde over the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed were premature and unwarranted.
    Talking to reporters, the former minister said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had already assured a thorough investigation into the murder case.
    Santosh Deshmukh, sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed, was abducted, tortured and murdered on December 9, apparently because he tried to thwart an attempt to extort money from an energy firm operating a windmill project.
    Walmik Karad, an associate of Minister Dhananjay Munde, has been arrested in the extortion case.
    Bhujbal said, "The chief minister has clarified that he will conduct a complete inquiry. Anyone found guilty, whether they are close to the political establishment or not, will face action. So, why is there a demand for Munde's resignation before the inquiry begins? Has anything come up in the investigation yet? Demanding someone's resignation before the outcome of a probe is wrong."
    Earlier, the NCP leader expressed his disappointment over his exclusion from the state cabinet and even targeted Ajit Pawar's style of running the party.
    He said he never thought of demanding Munde's to facilitate his entry into the state cabinet.
    "I would never dream of asking someone to resign just to make room for myself in the cabinet. This is not how I operate," Bhujbal told reporters.
    He further recalled his experience during a probe in the 2003 case involving Abdul Karim Telgi.
    "In 2003, I was the one who caught Telgi and filed a case under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Later, when accusations were made against me, I was forced to resign as the deputy chief minister and home minister. At that time, I was with the party in power, but still, I took the matter to the Supreme Court. The case was handed over to the CBI," he said.
    The former minister said under the BJP-led Central government, the CBI investigated the matter and found no wrongdoing on his part, and his name was never mentioned in the chargesheet.
    "I lost my position, my reputation took a hit, and I suffered emotional distress. However, after the matter was cleared, Sharad Pawar reappointed me as a minister. I have gone through this myself. Demanding someone's resignation without solid ground is not right," Bhujbal said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)