FIR against Dhananjay Munde for remarks on cousin Pankaja Munde
Beed: An FIR has been lodged against NCP leader Dhananjay Munde for allegedly making obscene comments against his estranged cousin and Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde at an election rally, a police official said on Sunday.
The NCP leader, however, said the clip was edited and fake, and his remarks were "distorted" to project him as a "villain" by his rivals to win elections.
A video purportedly showing the NCP leader making the remarks against the minister went viral on social media, following which a BJP functionary from Parli in Beed district filed a police complaint against him on Saturday, he said.
Both the cousins are locked in a battle from Parli segment for Monday's state Assembly polls. Pankaja Munde, the sitting BJP MLA from Parli, is the daughter of late party veteran Gopinath Munde.
"Acting on the complaint filed by Parli BJP president Jugal Kishor Lohiya, the FIR was lodged late Saturday night against Dhananjay Munde under Indian Penal Code Sections 500 (defamation), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman) and 294 (obscene act in public place)," Parli police station in-charge Purushottam Chobe told PTI.
Lohiya in his complaint said the NCP leader allegedly made the obscene remarks against the BJP minister at a public meeting held at Vida village in Kej tehsil on October 17.
The BJP has also complained to the Election Commission and the women's commission against the NCP leader's remarks. Some BJP workers also burnt his effigy at Shirur-Kasar tehsil here on Saturday night.
However, Dhananjay Munde said the clip was being circulated on social media by "distorting" his comments to "deliberately" defame him and project him as a "villain".
"My speech at Vida has been tampered with. This is clearly an attempt (by rivals) to make me a villain and win the elections," he said at a press conference here on Sunday.
"I have succeeded in politics on my own. I sacrificed Parli constituency for Pankaja Munde (apparently referring to 2009 when Gopinath Munde fielded his daughter)," he said.
The NCP leader pointed out that he spoke at Vida last Thursday and the clip went viral on Saturday.
"The complainant has not submitted any CD of my speech and neither the police verified it. We also tried to complain over this controversy, but the police didn't entertain it. But my speech in Vida is tampered and people who recently entered the BJP have made this attempt," he alleged.
"I have not taken the name of my sister, I have never used words which will hamper the brother-sister relationship.
This is an attempt to finish my political career. Our family has more number of female members...I will never make such comments which are below the dignity of women," he asserted.
Earlier in a statement on Facebook late Saturday night, he demanded that the authenticity of the "edited" clip be tested in a forensic laboratory.
Those who have "edited" the clip should at least respect the holy relationship of brother and sister, the leader of opposition in the state Legislative Council said.
The NCP leader said he is contesting the election only on the issue of development, and asked his detractors not to stoop low by giving an emotional twist to it.
"It is an edited clip, distorts my statement and deliberately defames me. The clip is completely fake and its authenticity must be tested in forensic lab."
He alleged that an emotional twist was being given to the election in the constituency as he has been receiving huge response from the people, causing fear of defeat in the minds of his rivals.
He also said he did not use bad words about any of his rivals, despite him being labelled as "monster".
"I did principle-based politics yesterday and doing it today. I have done 'kanyadaan' of my 1,500 sisters (girls). I will never use wrong words about any woman. Hence, workers and citizens should not believe in rumours," he added.
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CM, Cong high command to decide on cabinet rejig, says Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress high command will decide on the cabinet reshuffle amid mounting pressure within the ruling party to effect a change, aimed at providing opportunity to fresh faces.
A group of legislators has already decided to go to New Delhi later this month, after the bypolls, to meet and discuss the cabinet reshuffle with the high command.
"I don't know what they will do about the reshuffle. What can I say about it? The chief minister and the high command have to decide. It is left to their discretion. It is not right on our part to speculate about it," Parameshwara said in response to a question raised by reporters.
Stating that the high command would observe everything, he said, "First-timers (MLAs) came and said they want to become ministers; also, two to four time MLAs said they too want to become ministers. They held separate dinner meetings to discuss. They have brought things to the notice of the high command and the leadership will decide on what needs to be done."
"The AICC general secretary in-charge will look into the matter and try to resolve it at his level or report to the leadership. Such things are not new for the Congress. While running governments in several states, such things keep occurring, and the high command will look into it and set things right. They will do it," he added.
A group of senior Congress legislators, who have been MLAs for over three terms, met Siddaramaiah last month, urging him to rejig his cabinet and give them an opportunity to serve as ministers.
The group of about 40 legislators had said that they had planned to go to New Delhi together on April 11 after the bypolls, to meet the Congress high command and discuss including at least 20 of them during the reshuffle.
Bypolls for the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly constituencies will be held on April 9. The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.
Ahead of meeting the CM, the group of aspirants met over dinner and discussed the much-awaited state cabinet rejig. Some first and second time legislators have also recently pressed for a cabinet reshuffle.
The demand for a cabinet reshuffle has come to the fore, amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling party over the CM post.
Parameshwara on Monday asserted that Siddaramaiah will continue as the chief minister for the full five-year term under the "current situation." He, however, maintained that any decision regarding the leadership change rests solely with the Congress high command.
When asked if the high command had indicated anything regarding Siddaramaiah continuing as CM, Parameshwara said on Tuesday, "Why repeatedly ask the same question? What I said yesterday is done. Why do you want me to repeat it?"
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025.
The speculation has been fuelled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
According to party sources, while Siddaramaiah favors a cabinet reshuffle, Shivakumar wants the party to first decide on the leadership change.
According to several party insiders, if the Congress high command approves the cabinet reshuffle, it would signal that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will complete the full five-year term, which will scuttle the chances of Shivakumar from occupying the coveted post.
Karnataka has a sanctioned strength of 34 ministers, including the chief minister.
Two cabinet berths are currently vacant, following the resignation of B Nagendra over allegations of embezzlement at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation, and the sacking of K N Rajanna on the instructions of the party high command.
