News Analysis India

Tag: Dhananjay Munde

  • Dhananjay Munde to continue as a minister, senior IPS-level officer will probe charges against him

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde of NCP got a breathing space from his party on Thursday late night after several revelations against Renu Sharma who had made sexual exploitation charges against the Munde.

    NCP chief Sharad Pawar who had hinted sacking Munde over this serious charge on last Thursday changed the stand on Friday and said that “the charge against Dhananjay Munde is serious in nature, but the person who made these complaints is also facing grave allegations. The case is with police now and an SP-level lady officer will probe this case. After the completion of this probe only, the decision over Munde will be taken. We need to understand the truth behind this entire episode,” Pawar said.

    Dhananjay Munde has been mired into the controversy over revelations of his second wife through a social media post and sexual harassment charges by Renu Sharma. A section of the BJP headed by state president Chandrakant Patil has demanded the resignation of Munde, while another section led by former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis demanded a probe, not his resignation.

    NCP chief Sharad Pawar had called the core committee meeting of his party leaders including Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar on Thursday late evening. In the meeting, it was decided that though the charges against Munde is serious in nature, the credibility of the person who had made charges is in question now. “We have decided not to succumb to the pressure of the BJP and charges of Renu Sharma. The cautious approach has been taken till the probe is fairly carried out. Otherwise, it will set the wrong precedent,” said a senior NCP leader requested anonymity.

    BJP leader Krishna Hegade and MNS leader Manish Dhuri accused Renu Sharma of honey-cum-money trapping and blackmailing people. It was revealed that Renu Sharma had blackmailed several people by levelling false sexual harassment like charges. Both demanded probe and actions against Sharma.

    Renu Sharma in her defence tweeted that, if all people feel that I am wrong then I am ready to withdraw back. “Without understanding the reality, people are calling me a blackmailer. I am fighting my lone battle against the big people. My character assassination has been done by writing wrong things about me,” Sharma tweeted.

    Renu Sharma’s advocate Ramesh Tripathi said that he has been receiving threatening calls and so he switched off the phone. “If the advocate of the complainant is not safe, then how he will present the right side his client,” Tripati added.

  • NCP will wait for probe outcome in case against Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde: Sharad Pawar

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Friday said the party will think of any action against Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde, facing rape accusation, only after the truth comes out post police probe in the matter.

    Munde, the Social Justice Minister and NCP leader, has been accused of rape by a Mumbai-based woman, a charge he has strongly refuted and termed it as a blackmail attempt.

    Pawar told reporters here that the NCP wants an ACP rank woman officer to be part of the police team that will probe the allegations against Munde.

    The former Union ministers comments came in the wake of NCP leaders holding a late Thursday night meeting to discuss the issue.

    At the meeting it was decided to let Munde continue in his post for now and take a call on his fate after the police investigation is completed.

    Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Pawar had termed the allegations levelled by the woman as serious.

    On Thursday, BJP leader Krishna Hegde and Manish Dhuri of the MNS alleged that the same woman had allegedly harassed them, too.

    Pawar on Friday said the claims made by Hegde and Dhuri were not in public domain when he had termed the allegations of the woman against Munde as being serious.

    When we learnt these things (claims of Hegde and Dhuri), we came to a conclusion that the matter has to be probed in detail.

    “We were and are sure that the police department will do that, Pawar said, adding the party will not interfere in the police investigation. The only thing we suggested was that there should at least one woman ACP rank official probing the matter. They should bring to the fore facts after taking information about the complaints. And they should complete the probe as soon as possible,” he added.

    Pawar said possibility that injustice will be meted to one if the matter is not probed in detail cannot be ruled out and hence, the party is waiting for the investigation outcome.

    The NCP president said he has full confidence that the Mumbai Police will bring the truth out.

    Asked about some BJP leaders targeting the NCP over the episode involving Munde, Pawar said it is the right of the opposition to criticise.

    But, he added, it is the responsibility of the NCP to go deep into the matter to know the facts and take the right decision accordingly.

    On the BJP making repeated allegations against NCP leaders like Munde and Nawab Malik (another NCP minister), Pawar attributed the same to the restlessness of the NDA lead constituent after losing power in Maharashtra.

    “It is alright. I can understand the restlessness of those who have lost power. I dont see it as different from targeting those because of whom they feel they lost the power, he added.

    Malik’s son-in-law has been arrested by the NCB in a drugs case.

    Asked about another allegation against Munde that he hid information about having two more children from the relationship with the sister of the complainant woman, Pawar said it needs to be checked and added such cases of hiding information have happened in the country previously.

    It needs to be checked whether he got married for the second time or has more children, but did not share the information.

    Such cases have happened in the country.

    “Even (there are) cases involving the highest people. But I dont want to go into their details,” Pawar said without naming anyone.

  • Facing rape charges, Dhananjay Munde to continue as minister in Uddhav Cabinet for now

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: In a relief for Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde, who is facing rape allegation by a woman, his party NCP has decided to let him continue in the cabinet post for now, sources said on Friday.

    According to the sources, the decision was taken considering the complaints of harassment made against the woman by some leaders from the opposition BJP and the MNS.

    Top NCP leaders, including party president Sharad Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil and senior leader Praful Patel, met here late Thursday night to discuss the issue.

    The meeting was held at Patel’s residence.

    Munde (45), the social justice minister in the Shiv Sena-led MVA government, has refuted the rape charges and dubbed them as blackmail attempt.

    BJP leader Krishna Hegde on Thursday claimed that the Mumbai-based woman had been harassing him for several years.

    An MNS politician, too, has made similar allegations against her.

    Munde had levelled blackmailing charges against the woman.

    Now other party politicians, too, have levelled such charges against the woman concerned.

    The allegation by BJP and MNS leaders somewhere seems to strengthen Mundes claims.

    A police probe is going on in a case relating to Munde.

    “We will need to wait for its conclusion. So, it was decided that Munde will continue in the post for now,” the sources said.

    On Thursday, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar said that the allegation against Munde was serious and added the party will discuss the issue and decide on it “as soon as possible.

    Pawar told reporters that Munde met him on Wednesday and explained his side of the episode.

    State NCP president Jayant Patil said on Thursday that Munde would not resign just because someone has made allegations, but asserted the issue would be discussed inside the NCP and a decision would be taken based on facts.

    Patil had also said that any conclusion should be reached only based on police probe outcome into the matter.

    The NCP leader had also claimed that the state government was not interfering in the police probe.

    Munde, an NCP leader from Beed district, has denied the rape allegations, claiming he is being blackmailed by the woman and her sister.

    Munde, however, has acknowledged that he was in a relationship with the complainant woman’s sister and has two children with her.

    The BJP has demanded Munde’s resignation.

  • Dhananjay Munde saga gets mysterious as BJP leader Hegade says same woman tried to exploit him too

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: There was a twist in the Dhananjay Munde saga on Thursday as BJP leader Krishna Hegade filed an FIR against Renu Sharma, the same a woman who had lodged the sexual exploitation case against the NCP minister Dhananjay Munde recently.

    Hegade said that Renu Sharma had approached him in 2010 and tried to blackmail by threatening to file sexual harassment complaint. “However, on a safer note, I had filed an NC against Renu Sharma in 2010. Now, I have decided to turn my NC into an FIR against this woman who has reportedly filed a sexual exploitation case against Munde. Dhananjay Munde is not my friend but he seems to be trapped by this Renu Sharma and she is now blackmailing him,” Hegade said.

    Hegade demanded actions against Renu Sharma for blackmailing and cheating him and other people. “I also want to tell people, not to fall in the trap of Renu Sharma. She is habitual blackmailer and cheater,” Hegade added. Interestingly, the BJP’s former MP Kirit Somaiya earlier in a day went with Renu Sharma to file a police complaint against the NCP minister. Somaiya also demanded the resignation of Munde on the complaint of Renu Sharma.

    Another revelation came on Thursday that this same woman Renu Sharma had filed the sexual harassment complaint against Rizwan Sheikh in 2019. Later in the probe, it was revealed that Ms Sharma was also blackmailing Mr Rizwan who was working with a private airline.

    Meanwhile, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that the charges against Dhananjay Munde are serious in nature. “As party chief, I will not take any decision. I will consult with my party colleague and decision will be taken over the resignation of Dhananjay Munde. There is no question of protecting anyone. Munde met me earlier and explained his side of the story,” Pawar said. Later Pawar called a senior police officer at his residence Silver Oak to understand Munde’s case and its seriousness before taking any action against his minister.

  • Pyaar kiya to darna kya: Shiv Sena’s Abdul Sattar on NCP cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde’s rape charge

    By PTI
    JALNA: Shiv Sena minister in Maharashtra Abdul Sattar has sought to defend his NCP cabinet colleague Dhananjay Munde, accused of rape by a Mumbai-based woman, saying “pyaar kiya to darna kya.

    Talking to media persons here on Wednesday, Sattar said Munde has himselfdeclared that he had been in a relationship with the complainants sister and has two children with her.

    He (Munde) did not hide anything. ‘pyaar kiya to darna kya’, (why fear if in love)?” the Sena minister said when asked about the charges against Munde and the BJP’s demand for his resignation.

    Munde, an NCP leader from Beed district, has denied the rape allegations, claiming he is being blackmailed by the woman and her sister.

    Munde (45) said the woman’s claims were part of a conspiracy to blackmail him.

    He, however, acknowledged that he was in a relationship with the woman’s sister and has two children with her.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday, Munde said his wife, family and friends were aware of this relationship, adding the two kids have been accepted by his family.

    Sattar said when senior BJP leader late Gopinath Munde faced criticism over his relationship with a woman in late 1990s, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray had defended the former deputy chief minister, saying pyaar kiya to darna kya.

    Asked about the charge that Dhananjay Munde did not disclose personal details in his election affidavit, Sattar said most leaders do so, including those from the BJP.

    “I have suchinformation against BJP leaders and will expose them at (appropriate) time,” said the Sena leader.

    Sattar accused the BJP of working against the Sena candidate from Jalna in the2019 Assembly polls, leading to his defeat at the hands of the Congress nominee.

    The BJP and the Shiv Sena had fought the 2019 state polls together, but parted ways later following differences over power-sharing.

    The Shiv Sena then joined hands with the NCP and the Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in November 2019.

  • Allegations against NCP minister Dhananjay Munde serious, says Sharad Pawar

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Terming the rape claim by a woman against Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde as serious, NCP president Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the party will discuss the issue and decide on it “as soon as possible.

    Pawar also referred to the NCBs arrest of the son- in-law of another NCP minister Nawab Malik in a drug case and said people concerned should cooperate with the agency.

    The NCP chief said there is no personal allegation against Malik. Pawar told reporters that Munde met him on Wednesday and explained the details in connection with the allegation.

    READ| Woman accuses Maharashtra social justice minister Dhananjay Munde of rape

    “I think the allegation against him (Munde) is serious. Naturally, we will have to discuss the issue as a party. I will discuss the same in detail with my key colleagues and take them into confidence,” Pawar said.

    “Further steps will be taken after knowing their views. We will do this as soon as possible, he added.

    Munde told reporters that Pawar and other leaders of the party will take a call on the issue of his resignation.

    The 37-year-old woman, an aspiring singer, had said she wrote to Mumbai police commissioner on January 10, stating that Munde repeatedly raped her in 2006.

    She also claimed that she approached Oshiwara police here earlier but her complaint was ignored.

    Munde, NCP leader from Beed district, has denied the allegations, claiming he is being blackmailed by the woman and her sister.

    Munde (45) said the woman’s claims were part of a conspiracy to blackmail him.

    He, however, acknowledged that he was in a relationship with the woman’s sister and has two children with her.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday, Munde said his wife, family and friends were aware of this relationship, adding the two kids have been accepted by his family.

    He said the woman with whom he was in a relationship had been blackmailing him since 2019 and he had filed a police complaint and also moved the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on distribution of defamatory content against him.

  • BJP seeks resignation of Dhananjay Munde over bigamy

    By Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The opposition in Maharashtra is gunning for the resignation of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde after he disclosed he had two wives. While BJP Maharashtra president Chandrakant Patil said that Munde should resign on moral ground, former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis sought a fair probe into the allegations leveled against the minister.

    Meanwhile, former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya wrote to the Election Commission of India, seeking Munde’s disqualification referring to the law that a bigamous person could not become the member of any house. Meanwhile, Munde alleged that his second wife and sister in-law were blackmailing him.

    “I was not able to fulfil their demands, and this is the reason behind them levelling wild allegations of sexual harassment against me,” Munde said. Munde’s second wife’s sister Renu Sharma had lodged a complaint against Munde, claiming Munde had promised her a role in a film and used her for personal interests.

  • Woman accuses Maharashtra social justice minister Dhananjay Munde of rape

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: A woman has accused Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde of rape and claimed the Mumbai police ignored her complaint.

    The NCP leader denied the allegations, claiming he is being blackmailed by the complainant and her sister.

    Munde said he had been in a relationship with the complainant’s sister and sired two children.

    The 37-year-old woman, an aspiring singer, said she wrote to Mumbai police commissioner on January 10, stating that Munde repeatedly raped her in 2006. She also claimed that she approached Oshiwara police here earlier but her complaint was not accepted.

    ALSO READ | Maharashtra social justice minister Dhananjay Munde refutes rape allegation, terms it blackmail

    Munde (45) said the woman’s claims were part of a conspiracy to blackmail him. He, however, acknowledged that he was in a relationship with the complainants sister and has two children with her.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday, Munde said his wife, family and friends were aware of this relationship, adding the two kids have been accepted by his family.

    He said the woman with whom he was in a relationship had been blackmailing him since 2019 and he had filed a police complaint and also moved the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the distribution of defamatory content against him.

  • Maharashtra social justice minister Dhananjay Munde refutes rape allegation, terms it blackmail

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Social and Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde on Tuesday refuted rape allegation levelled by a 38-year-old woman and said he is in a relationship with her since 2003.

    In a post on Facebook, the NCP leader claimed that the woman and her sister are trying to blackmail him and extort money from him. He said that he had also given a complaint to the police in November 2020.

    Munde said that he is in a relationship with the woman since 2003 and has two children with her. The minister said that their relationship is also accepted by his family.

    After Munde accepted his relationship with the woman, BJP’s women wing wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and demanded his removal from the Cabinet.

    READ HERE | Woman accuses Maharashtra social justice minister Dhananjay Munde of rape

    On January 11, the woman along with her lawyer arrived at the Oshiwara police station in Andheri to file a rape complaint against Munde. She stated in her complaint that she knows Munde since 1997.

    She alleged that Munde is raping her by giving an assurance of marrying her and also promised to help her to get work as a singer in Bollywood.

    Advocate Ramesh Tripathi, lawyer of the woman said that FIR has not been lodged in the matter so far.

    “Munde first raped her in 2008 when she was alone at her home and shot video of it. Since then had repeated the act multiple times over the years. In 2019, he denied marrying her and said if she says something then he will leak the video on social media. The police station denied of lodging an FIR in the case. We will go to court. If anything happens to her, then Munde will be responsible,” he said.