Mumbai: Woman withdraws plaint against Munde; Pawar says NCP stand vindicated

In a letter posted on Twitter, the woman said she felt she was being used as a tool for a bigger political conspiracy and hence decided to withdraw her complaint

A day after a woman withdrew her complaint of sexual exploitation against Maharashtra social justice minister Dhananjay Munde, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said their decision stands vindicated as the party had said there needed to be an investigation before taking any action against the minister. BJP, which was demanding Munde’s scalp, has now sought action against the complainant for making false allegations.

Dhananjay Munde. (File photo)

In a letter posted on her Twitter handle, the woman said the relationship between Munde and her sister (with whom the minister is in a consensual relationship) had not been cordial for a long time. “I felt that I was being used as a tool for a big political conspiracy and hence decided to withdraw my complaint and some people are firing shots by putting a gun on my shoulder. I would like to clarify I am withdrawing my complaint against Dhananjay Munde and don’t want to pursue it further,” she said in the letter.

According to news reports, the complainant withdrew her complaint against Munde on Thursday.

Reacting to the development, Pawar said in Kolhapur, “In the beginning, I had made a statement that the case appears serious but following more revelations, the party came to the conclusion that we need to get to the bottom of this and prima facie, it appears that our decision was right.”

Munde was at the centre of a controversy after the woman, a singer, accused him of rape on the pretext of marriage and promise of help with her career. She alleged that the police were not accepting her written complaint against the minister and her life was under threat. Munde, however, claimed that the woman was trying to defame and blackmail him.

Meanwhile, state BJP vice-president Chitra Wagh has now demanded action against the complainant. She said that the complainant must be booked for making false allegations.

“It is shocking to know that the woman has withdrawn her complaint. The allegations against Munde were also shocking for us. From day one, BJP took a stand that the case is not between two individuals — Munde and the complainant — because we don’t want to set a wrong example in Maharashtra and hence were demanding Munde’s resignation. Now, I feel it is imperative to book her (complainant) under section 192 of Indian Penal Code (IPC) because making false allegations is an offence, be it a politician or a common person such accusations can destroy someone’s life,” Wagh said in her statement.