Maharashtra Political Scandal: Minister Under Pressure to Resign

Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has asked minister Dhananjay Munde to step down following the involvement of his aide Walmik Karad in a murder case. As per sources, discussions were held with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar regarding the fallout from the chargesheet filed in the Deshmukh murder case and related extortion attempts.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has requested the resignation of state minister Dhananjay Munde, amid allegations against his aide in the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, sources revealed on Tuesday.

According to insiders, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar met Fadnavis on Monday night to address the consequences of the charges filed by the CID concerning Deshmukh's murder and two related cases, in which Munde's aide Karad is the primary accused.

Munde, serving as the state's food and civil supplies minister, has been instructed to resign. Deshmukh's murder reportedly stemmed from an attempted stop of an extortion plot targeting an energy company, leading the CID to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act in these cases.

(With inputs from agencies.)