Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met his Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde in Mumbai on Friday even as the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) mounted pressure on Fadnavis to dismiss Munde for supposedly protecting one Valmik Karad, who allegedly masterminded the murder of a village sarpanch named Santosh Deshmukh, on December 9.

Shortly after meeting Fadnavis on Friday, Munde, who is from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and took charge of the food and civil supplies ministry on Thursday, told media persons that the opposition has made allegations against him “to end his political career.”

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Munde said that any individual responsible for the murder should be given the strictest punishment even if the latter turns out to be his close associate.

It has been 18 days since the murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, on December 9, but no accused has been caught by the police so far.

Therefore the opposition plans to hold a silent march with banners from Baba Saheb Ambedkar Chowk and end at the Beed Collector’s office, demanding the arrest of Valmiki Karad, who is allegedly the mastermind behind the murder, but is allegedly being protected by food and civil supplies minister Dhananjay Munde of the BJP.

What is known so far is that Santosh Deshmukh, the village sarpanch of Masajog village in Beed, was kidnapped on December 9 in the afternoon and his body was found a few hours later.

The sarpanch was allegedly killed for interfering in an extortion attempt at a wind power plant near his village. The police stated that Rs 2 crore was allegedly demanded from a power company which was installing windmills in Beed district. Sarpanch Deshmukh had tried to stop the extortion by intervening in the matter, the police said.

An FIR was registered against seven people including one Vishnu Chate in the Sarpanch’s murder case, but Valmik Karad who is alleged to have masterminded the murder plot, has not been made an accused so far.

The opposition cited this incident and alleged that CM Fadnavis, who is in charge of the home ministry, is suppressing the truth. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said that the government talks about investigation, but is not willing to accept the truth.

Patole alleged that CM Fadnavis himself is trying to suppress the matter, adding that it is necessary to remove Dhananjay Munde from his ministerial post, in order to ensure a proper investigation of the Santosh Deshmukh murder case.

Interestingly, a BJP MLA Suresh Dhas from Beed district has also accused people close to Dhananjay Munde of being involved in the murder case, while anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania has alleged that Valmik Karad, who is the mastermind behind the murder, has not been made an accused in the murder case.

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut accused CM Fadnavis of protecting what he called the “Urban Naxals” of Beed. He said that “Urban Naxal” is a favourite word used by CM Fadnavis. “Now the question is when will he take action against the Naxalites of Beed,” Raut said.

Raut claimed that Fadnavis and BJP are supporting what he called “Naxalism” in Beed district, due to which women in the district are becoming widows.

“The mastermind behind the Santosh Deshmukh murder case is in the cabinet. During the last few years, 38 people have been killed in Beed,” Raut said, adding that a call has been given to organise a multi-party march shortly, demanding action against the “real killers” of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.