Days after Renu Sharma, a playback singer from Mumbai, levelled allegations of rape and blackmail against NCP leader and a minister in Uddhav Thackeray’s cabinet Dhananjay Panditrao Munde, BJP Maharashtra has demanded Munde’s resignation. BJP has also asked the state election commission to take action against him for withholding the information about his second wife in his election affidavit.
Renu Sharma had taken to social media to share the copy of the complaint she has lodged with Mumbai police against Dhananjay Munde, the social justice minister in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. In her complaint she said that Munde was her brother-in-law.
While state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said that Munde should be asked to resign as a minister, another leader Kirit Somaiya wrote a letter to the Election Commission ‘seeking appropriate action’ against him for not disclosing details of his second wife and children in the affidavit. Kirit Somaiya added that Munde has “no right” to hold the position of a Cabinet Minister until he comes clean on the allegations.
NCP leaders come out in defence of Munde
Despite serious rape allegations, Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was seen backing its minister, with state NCP chief and minister Jayant Patil saying: “These are only allegations against him. He has given his clarification in this regard. This is his family issue. It takes years for one to get established in politics and so without investigating the incident, it would be unfair to finish off someone’s career.” He added, “Munde has also filed a case in the court, the matter is sub judice. Till the judiciary gives a verdict.
Dhananjay Munde accused of rape and blackmail
On January 12, the upcoming singer Renu Sharma had accused Dhananjay Panditrao Munde of sexual assault and rape under the pretext of marriage and blackmail. Sharing a copy of her complaint, Renu Sharma revealed how Munde had lured her under the prestext of marraige and bright prospects in Bollywood. The victim accused the NCP leader of sexually exploiting her and blackmailing her with her intimate pictures and video.
In a tweet tagging top NCP leaders including Sharad Pawar, she added that she had approached Mumbai police earlier but her complaint was not accepted. She also requested help from former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and PM Narendra Modi, alleging that her life was under threat.
NCP leader Dhananjay Munde admits of his extramarital relationship
Dhananjay Panditrao Munde refuted the allegations. However, while denying the charges, Munde, inadvertently, admitted of his extramarital relationship with Renu Sharma’s sister, which, in turn, added insult to his injuries. In his Facebook post, the NCP leader said that he had been in a relationship with the woman’s sister since 2003 and has two children with her. After the minister’s Facebook admission, the BJP’s women’s wing wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and demanded his sacking.