Maharastra: NCP, BJP trade blows on Dhananjay Munde's rape allegations

In its first reactions the ruling Nationalist Congress Party NCP on Thursday decided to keep off the family matter of Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde who is in the eye of a storm over allegations of rape against him levelled by a womanNCP state chief Jayant Patil made it clear that there was no question of Mundes resignation or any changes in the state Cabinet even as the opposition BJP demanded the ministers scalpDeputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar endorsed Patils stance while the ruling ally Shiv Senas spokesperson Sanjay Raut slammed the BJP for interfering in and politicising personal affairs of leadersPatil also said that Mumbai Police should conduct an impartial inquiry into the allegations against Munde who late on Wednesday evening met NCP President Sharad Pawar and apprised him of the developmentsOn Wednesday former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya wrote to the Election Commission EC demanding action against Munde for allegedly suppressing information about his Mundes two wives and all children and properties in their names in the 2019 Assembly poll affidavitThis morning Somaiya went to the Oshiwara Police Station to demand that the police should accept the alleged rapevictims complaint and lodge an FIR against the ministerThe NCP was embarrassed after the woman lodged a written complaint alleging rape over several years by Munde on pretext of marriage and getting her Bollywood singing assignmentsThe police have not yet taken cognisance of the matter against Munde a nephew of late BJP leader Gopinath Munde who quit the BJP in 2013 to join the NCPIn a detailed rejoinder Munde among other things dismissed the allegations against him as false defamatory and he claimed to have SMSes as proof that the woman made calls from her mobile demanding exorbitant amount of money as blackmail in connivance with her elder sister and their brotherHowever he admitted to a relationship with a woman since 2003 with whom he has sired a son and daughter and he supports them with the full knowledge and consent of his wife and familyBut from 2019 she and her sister blackmailed me and started demanding money A complaint has also been filed with the police regarding all these matters that are happening since November 12 2020 Munde claimedHe said that he was threatened by the womans brother and in November 2020 her elder sister published certain personal and private material related to him on social media and blackmailed himThats why I am trying to get justice for myself in this case A petition has been filed against her in the high court The high court has passed orders against her banning the publishing of such material The petition is pending for further hearing meanwhile the process of reconciliation by lawyers on both sides is also going on Munde saidOn her part the sister on January 12 took to social media contending that she had earlier approached the police but her complaint was not acceptedShe further claimed that Munde who is reportedly her brotherinlaw and had married her sister in 1998 first raped her in 2006 when she was alone at home and then repeated the act multiple times over the yearsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever