Live
- BJP panel to draft poll charge sheet against AAP govt in Delhi
- Allu Arjun Thanks Fans in Patna, Teases 'Pushpa 2' Release
- Japan to strengthen measures against illegal part-time jobs
- Gahlot resignation: Delhi Congress calls AAP a sinking ship
- Consultative body on doctors' walkout fails to narrow differences in South Korea
- Honouring bravehearts: Army commemorates Nuranang Day
- 40,000 aspirants participate in army recruitment rallies across Jammu division
- Nigerian President Tinubu lauds PM Modi's efforts to amplify concerns of Global South
- Congress in Himachal to hold event in Bilaspur to mark two years at helm
- Hitaashee takes third title of the season, wins 14th leg of WPGT
Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Rathod linked to woman's death resigns
Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Rathod linked to woman’s death resigns
BJP welcomes decision
Mumbai: Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Rathod, facing flak from the opposition BJP after being linked to a woman's death, on Sunday resigned from the state cabinet.
Rathod made the announcement after submitting his resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who is also the president of his Shiv Sena party.
"There has been a lot of dirty politics over the issue of the woman's death," Rathod told reporters, adding he has quit the ministry so that the truth can come out.
Rathod, who holds the forest portfolio, was facing allegations of complicity in the death of Puja Chavan (23), a resident of Beed district, who was found dead in Pune on February 8, apparently after falling off from the building in which she lived.
Talking to reporters after meeting the chief minister at his official residenceVarsha, Rathod said he had resigned to facilitate a free and fair probe.
"Attempts were made to tarnish my image and destroy my reputation I had built after 30 years of socialwork. I was saying that let the probe happen before taking any decision. But the opposition threatened to disrupt the budget session," Rathod said.
The BJP on Sunday welcomed the resignation of Sanjay Rathod.
Talking about Rathod's resignation, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said, "It was due to the constant pressure of the people of Maharashtra and the workers of the BJP that the chief minister had to ultimately yield."
He said he was glad that the chief minister showed courage in removing Rathod from the cabinet. Patil said he hoped that NCP chief Sharad Pawar would also take a similar decision regarding another minister Dhananjay Munde, accused of rape by a Mumbai-based woman, who later withdrew her complaint.
