Mumbai, March 4: NCP legislator Dhananjay Munde on Tuesday said he has resigned from the Maharashtra cabinet due to his ill-health and went by his conscience. He also demanded strict punishment to those involved in the Beed Sarpanch murder and case.

In his post on X, Munde wrote in Marathi (loosely translated as), “It has been my firm demand since day one that the accused in the brutal murder of the late Santosh Deshmukh of Massajog in Beed district should be given the strictest punishment. Seeing the photos that surfaced yesterday, I was deeply saddened. The investigation into this matter has been completed, and the charge sheet has been filed in the court. Also, a judicial inquiry is proposed. Going by my conscience and also considering my health, which has not been good for the past few days, the doctor has advised me to undergo treatment for the next few days, therefore, also for medical reasons, I have submitted my resignation from the cabinet to the Chief Minister.”

Munde decided to step down following CM’s directive and also after a two-hour long meeting that took place on Monday night at the official residence of Deputy CM and NCP President Ajit Pawar, working president Praful Patel, state chief Sunil Tatkare in the presence of the Chief Minister.

NCP insiders said that CM Fadnavis asked Munde to resign to avoid further criticism from various quarters, especially, after the photos and videos of brutal killing of Massajog Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh went viral. CM Fadnavis has already accepted Munde’s resignation and forwarded it to the Governor for further action.

Opposition has slammed the state government and Munde for resigning 82 days after the murder of Santosh Deshmukh.

Shiv Sena legislator Aditya Thackeray demanded that the BJP-led Mahayuti government should be dismissed for its apathy towards the killing of Santosh Deshmukh. “Yesterday, the photos came to light, didn’t they reach the Chief Minister? Last night, the Chief Minister went to the Deputy Chief Minister’s bungalow in a car and a meeting was held there. But can’t the Chief Minister himself call them? Doesn’t the Chief Minister know first?” he asked.

NCP-SP legislator Jitendra Awhad asked, “If you knew and the government had the photos, why did you wait for so long? Who were you waiting for? Why did you take a stand late regarding the resignation? Was there pressure?”

NCP-SP MP from Beed constituency Bajarang Sonawane, who was at the forefront demanding Munde’s resignation, said he should have taken this decision much earlier. “It was painful to watch the photos of the killing of Santosh Deshmukh. Munde should not have waited for a long time to submit his resignation,” he remarked.

Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske in his post on X said, “Walmik Karad, a mastermind in the sarpanch murder should be hanged to death.”

The social activist, Anjali Damania, who has been quite vocal in demanding Munde’s resignation and making series of posts linked to the sarpanch killing, said, “Today, the state government has done a great favor to the people. In fact, the government should have been thrown away. The entire state knew about the photos that surfaced yesterday, what was in them. But it took three months? Everyone knew about Walmik Karad’s (Munde’s close associate under arrest) criminal background.”