Ajit Pawar’s stand on Dhananjay Munde will be final, says Maharashtra CM Fadnavis

Mumbai, Jan 30 (PTI) Putting the ball in his deputy’s court, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said Ajit Pawar’s decision about the continuance of NCP leader Dhananjay Munde in the state cabinet will be final.

“Whatever stand Ajit Pawar takes will be final,” Fadnavis told reporters in Delhi on the sidelines of a rally, as pressure mounted on the Mahayuti coalition government on the issue.

Munde has been facing the heat since the arrest of his close aide Walmik Karad in an extortion case related to the brutal murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district in December. Munde is an MLA from the same district.

After activist Anjali Damania met deputy CM Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party, and handed some documents about alleged nexus between Munde and Karad, Pawar had said those found guilty after inquiry will certainly face action.

“Dhananjay Munde and I met during the cabinet meeting in the morning. He is a minister in our government, and there is nothing secret about our meeting. He can meet me anytime, and I can meet him anytime,” Fadnavis told reporters while responding to a question about the meeting.

“Ajit Pawar has made a statement about (demand for) his resignation. Whatever stand Ajit Pawar takes, will be final,” the CM added.

Meanwhile, he also accused the BJP’s former ally, Shiv Sena (UBT) of indulging in appeasement politics by opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill.

“Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena has consistently followed a policy of appeasement. If they are opposing this bill out of misunderstanding or political compulsion, the people of Maharashtra are watching. I feel deeply hurt to see that they have embraced the Congress tradition of standing with only one community. The Waqf Board Bill is not against any community, certainly not against the Muslim community. It has been introduced to end the mismanagement of Waqf affairs,” Fadnavis said.