Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday demanded resignation of Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde who has been accused of rape by a woman singer.
While Mr. Munde’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said that the police inquiry would bring out truth and there was no question of resignation as of now, the minister held talks with NCP chief Sharad Pawar to inform him his side of the story.
Mr. Munde was on Tuesday accused of rape by a woman singer. The minister, while denying the charge, accepted that he was having an extramarital affair with the complainant’s sister and they had two children. He said that the duo along with their brother was blackmailing him.
State BJP president Chandrakant Patil said that Mr. Munde should immediately resign. “He has been accused of sexual harassment and he has no right to be a minister. A minister should have immediately tendered his resignation following such allegations but this thick-skinned government is unlikely to do so. We will forcefully place our demand,” he said.
Former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya wrote to the Election Commission of India saying that Mr. Munde in his statement accepted that he had married twice and given his name to children from second wife.
“He had not mentioned these details in his election affidavit for the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls and had not disclosed properties in their names,” he stated, demanding an inquiry and action.
