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Thousands of people gathered in Maharashtra's Beed city on Saturday to protest against the brutal murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh as even MLAs from ruling parties demanded the sacking of Nationalist Congress Party minister Dhananjay Munde.
Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, Chhatrapati Sambhaji of the Kolhapur royal family, local Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs Suresh Dhas, Abhimanyu Pawar; NCP MLA Prakash Solanke and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar MLAs Jitendra Awhad and Sandeep Kshirsagar participated in the 'aakrosh morcha' or protest march.
The protesters demanded arrest of Walmik Karad, an associate of Dhananjay Munde, a politician from Beed district.
Santosh Deshmukh was abducted and tortured to death on December 9. While four persons have been arrested, Opposition leaders claimed in the state legislature during the winter session that Walmik Karad was the mastermind of the murder.
Karad, named as an accused in a related case of extortion, is still at large.
Vaibhavi Deshmukh, the daughter of the deceased sarpanch, demanded justice for her father during the protest. He lost his life while saving a person from the Dalit community, she said.
Abhimanyu Pawar, who was earlier an aide of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis before he became MLA from Ausa in neighbouring Latur district, said the pain caused by Deshmukh's murder was felt in different parts of Maharashtra.
"Even if I am part of the (ruling) dispensation, I want to tell the government that if the accused are not arrested, protests will reach other parts of the state. We want justice for the family of Santosh Deshmukh," he said.
BJP MLA Dhas alleged that Munde, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister, won assembly election from Parli in Beed district with the help of bogus votes.
The NCP to which Munde belongs is part of the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti coalition.
NCP MLA Prakash Solanke said some of the accused were still at large even 19 days after the murder, and Walmik Karad too had not been arrested.
"Dhananjay Munde was the guardian minister of Beed for four of the last five years. Munde needs to be sacked. Until the accused are convicted, Munde should be sacked so that there is an impartial probe," Solanke said.
The Majalgaon constituency which he represents has collected Rs 40 lakh for the Deshmukh family, he informed.
Quota activist Jarange said the Maratha community will not keep quiet till the deceased, who belonged to the Maratha community, got justice.
"If the CM does not want this protest to spread to other parts of the state, the accused should be arrested and action should be taken against those who are supporting them. There is suspicion that the government is shielding the accused," Jarange said.
The Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray demanded resignations of both Dhananjay Munde and his cousin, BJP minister Pankaja Munde.
According to police, Deshmukh was prima facie killed because he opposed an extortion bid targeting a windmill company in Beed district.
Local NCP leader Vishnu Chate allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore from the company. Deshmukh tried to intervene, leading to his abduction, torture and murder. Chate is among the four arrested accused.