Charges against minister serious, NCP decides soon, says Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar has said that allegations of rape against Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde are "serious." Addressing the media in Mumbai on Thursday, he added that the party will discuss the issue and decide on it "as soon as possible." Pawar said that Munde met him on Wednesday and explained the details in connection with the allegation. "Further steps will be taken after knowing their (party colleagues) views". 

Munde, who has been with the NCP since 2013 after quitting the BJP, has said that Pawar and other leaders of the party will take a call on the issue of his resignation. Earlier, in a Facebook post, Dhananjay Munde, the state minister for social justice, said he was being blackmailed by the rape accuser and her sister since 2019. He said that he had also filed a complaint with the police in November. Hebsaid that he had been in a relationship with the woman's sister since 2003 and has two children with her. The relationship was also accepted by his family, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader said.