The Opposition BJP on Thursday found itself on back foot in the controversy over accusations of rape by faced by NCP Minister Dhananjay Munde, as it own party leader Krishna Hegde and MNS leader Manish Dhuri came indirectly to the defence of Munde by claiming that the woman who had made allegations of rape against the NCP Minister had tried to “honey-trap” them .
On a day when NCP chief Sharad Pawar distanced himself from the controversy by saying that the charges against Munde were “serious” and that the matter was with the police and also in the court, Munde received support from an unexpected quarters, as Hegde and Dhuri trained their gun on the woman who had accused the minister of having raped her sister.
Munde has been accused of rape by a singer Renu Sharma, with whose sister Karuna Sharma the minister has admitted to have been in a relationship and sired children.
A day after its leaders, including the party’s women’s wing leader Chitra Wagh, went to town demanding the resignation of Munde over the allegation of rape against him, the BJP was taken by nasty surprise, as the party’s Mumbai vice president Krishna Hegde lodged a complaint with the Amboli police against Renu Verma for allegedly “coaxing” him since 2010 into having a relationship with him.
“Renu Sharma has been calling me, messaging me and coaxing me since 2010 to have a relationship with her,” Hegde said in his complaint lodged with Senior Inspector of Amboli police station Kamte.
“This harassment went on to the point of stalking. Through my sources I found out that she is a dubious person who is setting up a honey trap. I totally avoided meeting her” Hegde said.
“Through my sources I found out that she is a dubious person who is setting up a honey trap. I totally avoided meeting her. I am informed that few more people have been honey trapped and money has been extorted. The Mumbai Police should kindly investigate this,” Hegde stated in his formal complaint..
“The harassment, messages and phone calls continued till 2015 but I studiously avoided meeting her. I told her clearly that I am not interested in meeting her and forget having any kind of relationship with her as she seeks,” Hedge said.
“Even on 6 and 7 January, she sent WhatsApp to me.... I did not respond to messages except sending her a thumbs up emoji. Two days ago I was shocked to see and read in the media her allegations against minister Dhananjay Munde. This is when I decided to inform you about Renu Sharma,” he said in the complaint.
Talking to media persons separately, Dhuiri said: “The woman who has now complained against Munde had obtained my telephone number. She used to follow me. She tried many times to get to close to me. Having realised that she had honey trap several influential people, I tried to distance myself from her”.
“Since she is a woman, I did not want to defame her and did not complain to the police. She once again contacted me 2018-19. If I had got involved with her, I would have become another Dhananjay Munde. If Krishna Hegde has already complained against Renu Sharma,” Dhuri said.
In a related development, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that the charges against Munde were “serious”. “Munde has met me and explained his side of the story.
“The matter is with the police...it is also in court...they will decide, however, we as a party would have to decide on it. I will speak to my colleagues and decide,” Pawar said.
Meanwhile, NCP’s State President Jayant Patil ruled out of the possibility of Munde putting in his resignation in the wake of allegations of rape against him, even as the Opposition BJP continued to demand his resignation. Patil, however, said that the Mumbai Police should conduct an “impartial inquiry” into the allegations against Munde
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar of the NCP endorsed Patil’s stand. On his part, ruling Shiv Sena’s Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut hit out at the BJP for “interfering into and politicizing personal affairs” of leaders.