Anti-corruption activist Anjali Damania demanded immediate resignation of Maharashtra Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde of the Ajit Pawar-led NCP on Saturday in Beed district, claiming that Munde holds “a position of financial gain”. Mahagenco is a company wholly owned by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB).

Anjali Damania tweeted on X on Saturday, “This is an office of profit. The beneficiary Dhananjay Munde must resign immediately. Dhananjay Munde and his wife Rajshree Dhananjay Munde are majority shareholders of a company named Venkateswara Industrial Services.

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“Earlier Valmik Karad (an accused in the Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh case) was the company’s director and Karad is still a shareholder. Does this company sell fly ash? Mahagenco is a wholly- owned subsidiary of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB). How can a minister get financial benefits from that company?”

Incidentally, Anjali Damania has also opposed giving the job of the government prosecutor in the Santosh Deshmukh case to 9/11 attack fame lawyer Ujwal Nikam who sent terrorist Ajmal Kasab to the gallows.

“Dhananjay Munde’s lawyer for Jagamitra Spinning Mills bail in the DCC Bank scam was Advocate Aniket Nikam, who is the son of Ujwal Nikam. We know that the Chief Minister of Maharashtra has met Ujjwal Nikam and he intends to make Ujwal Nikam the government prosecutor in the Santosh Deshmukh case.

However, it would not be right to give this case to Ujwal Nikam. There is no disrespect to Ujwal Nikam, but in all fairness and in the interest of justice, the Chief Minister should refer this case to another expert lawyer,” Anjali Damania said.

Damania also said, “How can Munde’s wife hold a position of financial gain while Munde himself serves as a minister? Munde’s wife Rajshree Munde is a director of a company called Venkateshwara Industrial Services.

“There is a government rule that a person holding ministerial post and her family members should not be in a position of profit. Rajshree Munde has broken that rule”.

Incidentally, Venkateswara Industrial Services is a company which supplies fly ash which is generated by the coal-burning thermal power plant owned by Mahagenco, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the MSEB. Anjali Damania has alleged that the profits from this company go directly to the minister’s pocket.

Damania has alleged the majority shareholders of Venkateshwara Industrial Services are none other than Maharashtra Food & Civil Supplies Minister Dhananjay Munde and his wife Rajshri Dhananjay Munde. Earlier, Valmik Karad was a director of this company, and he is still a shareholder of the company, Damania alleged.

“Under such circumstances, how can a serving minister in the state government get financial benefits from that company? So Dhananjay Munde must be made to resign and he must be investigated.

Meanwhile, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena has also requested Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis through a formal representation that the murder case of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed should be tried in a fast-track court.