Huge protest in Beed; Mahayuti MLAs too seek Munde's ouster

Beed: 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 the ruling coalition demanded the sacking of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, former MP Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, local BJP MLAs Suresh Dhas, Abhimanyu Pawar; NCP MLA Prakash Solanke and NCP (SP) MLAs Jitendra Awhad and Sandeep Kshirsagar participated in the 'aakrosh morcha' or protest march that culminated in a rally. The protesters demanded arrest of Walmik Karad, an associate of Dhananjay Munde, a politician from Beed district.

Santosh Deshmukh was allegedly 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 but not for the murder, is still at large.