An editorial piece which appeared in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s Marathi daily print newspaper ‘Saamna’ claimed on Wednesday that the resignation of Dhananjay Munde on Tuesday was a mere “eyewash” scripted by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar to hoodwink people, after assuring Munde that he would be taken back into the ministerial cabinet after the Massajog village official Santosh Deshmukh murder case cools down.
Therefore, neither Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis nor NCP leader and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar can claim that Munde’s resignation was sought on moral grounds, the editorial stated.
The ‘Saamna’ editorial called ‘Agralekh’ in Marathi stated that instead of seeking Munde’s resignation, he should have been sacked from the cabinet and his claim of having quit on moral grounds is a “cruel joke”.
Incidentally, Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who is the executive editor of the Marathi daily, is widely believed to have written the editorial, sources said.
The editorial also alleged that the controversial remarks made by the Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi about Mughal emperor Aurangzeb was scripted and choreographed by the Maharashtra chief minister as a “diversionary tactic” to prevent the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) from taking credit for Munde’s resignation.
“A contract was given to Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi and as soon as Azmi made a statement on Aurangzeb, the BJP started a ruckus criticising Azmi’s statement. When the Opposition raised its voice about Munde’s resignation, a diversion was created by the ruling party and the assembly meeting came to an end in that ruckus. At the national level, people like Owaisi and at the state level, people like Abu Azmi are the BJP’s brand ambassadors. The BJP’s moral bubble burst in the Munde case and the Aurangzeb controversy was created by the government. Do you think people are stupid,” the ‘Saamna’ editorial stated.
Meanwhile, veteran politician Sharad Pawar’s daughter and NCP MP Supriya Sule has demanded that Dhananjay Munde must be made a co-accused in the Massajog village official Santosh Deshmukh murder case.
In a related development, Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil also made a serious allegation on Wednesday that Valmik Karad, who is the main accused in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case, had called Dhananjay Munde after Deshmukh was murdered. He also said that since Valmik Karad was looking after all extortion-related businesses on behalf of Dhananjay Munde, the CID and SIT must investigate Dhananjay Munde.
He alleged that it is Dhananjay Munde had helped the still absconding accused number 8, Krishna Andhale escape. It is necessary to get a call details record (CDR) of eight days before the Deshmukh murder and the time from the murder to Munde’s resignation, he said, adding that many things will be revealed if it is done.