27 July,2025 10:17 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
Former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde. File Pic.
Former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde on Sunday advocated for "inclusive politics", strongly condemning divisive caste-based attacks and discrimination, reported news agency PTI.
In an apparent reference to the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh on 9 December, which caused nationwide outrage and sparked a bitter political dispute, Munde claimed that he and his Vanjari community were "maligned for 200 days".
Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog in Beed, was abducted, tortured, and murdered on 9 December last year for opposing an extortion attempt on a firm involved in a windmill project in the area.
According to PTI, the arrest of Walmik Karad, a close aide of Mr Munde, in connection with the case led to strong demands from the opposition, and even some leaders of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, for the Parli MLA to be dropped from the state cabinet. Munde subsequently resigned on 4 March this year.
However, the case also took on casteist overtones because Deshmukh was a Maratha, while most of those apprehended belonged to the Vanjari community. This also brought disrepute to Beed as an alleged hotbed of politically-linked crime.
"We were maligned for 200 days - me, my parents, my children, my soil. But we won't respond with hatred to those who hate us. The day it is our turn to do politics by dividing castes, we will give up politics. There is a need for inclusive politics," Munde stated while addressing an event of the Vanjari Samaj in Thane.
Furthermore, hailing the vision of the late BJP leader Gopinath Munde, the Parli MLA asserted that struggle is inherent in the community's blood, and it will continue to fight for justice until the end.
Lamenting the misuse of caste identity to target merit-based selections, Munde said:
"Those who object to our dignity and merit must stop now. I won't tolerate it anymore."
Munde's statements come amid speculation that he could soon make a return to the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet.
Moreover, speaking to reporters in Pune on Friday, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in a likely reference to the sarpanch murder case, indicated that Munde would be given an "opportunity" if he is absolved in the inquiry against him, PTI reported.
Among those who attended the event were former principal secretary Sumant Bhange, who played a crucial role in drafting the state government's decision to provide Kunbi caste certificates to the Maratha community, and renowned ophthalmologist Dr Tatyarao Lahane.
(With inputs from PTI)
