Dhananjay Munde's 'rape accuser' tried to trap us too: BJP and MNS leaders

Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde who is battling rape accusations got a shot in the arm on Thursday when leaders from the BJP and MNS said on Thursday that his lsquorape accuserrsquo had also tried to lure and blackmail them NCP boss Sharad Pawar said that the accusations against Munde were serious and needed to be discussed at a forum of senior leadersKrishna Hegde PicTwitterBJPrsquos Krishna Hegde informed the Amboli police that the woman attempted to honey trap him between 2010 and 2015 MNSs Manish Dhuri has also said that the woman had tried her luck with him between 20082009Sources said that last July the same woman had lodged a complaint of rape against an employee of Jet Airways who she was in a relationship with for a couple of yearsManish Dhuri MNS leaderNCP to consider the twistPawarrsquos statement on Thursday led to understanding that Munde was given some time to quit on his own before the seniors took any decision But Hegdersquos police complaint altered the public perception by late afternoon Sources said the NCP would consider the twist before deciding Mundersquos fate Munde has said he wasnrsquot asked to quit State NCP president Jayant Patil also defended MundeMunde has denied the charge of rape saying he was being blackmailed He said he had a consensual relationship with the elder sister of the accuser and the couple had two children whom he has given his name ldquoThe children stay with my familyrdquo he has said in a prolonged social media post adding that the mother has been provided for by him in the best possible mannerWhile Munde met Patil at the NCP headquarters Hedge sent media persons a letter he sent to Amboli police Later he visited the police station to record his statement and urge the officers to file a first information report FIR against the womanCould have been me HegdeIn a move that has somewhat blunted the BJPrsquos attack on Munde Hegde informed the police that the woman has been calling messaging and coaxing him since 2010 to have a relationship with her ldquoThis harassment went to the point of stalking Through my sources I found out that she is a dubious person who was setting up a honey trap I totally avoided meeting her I was informed that few more persons have been honey trapped and money has been extortedrdquo said his complaintI was MNS Vibhag Pramukh then She wanted to make an album and she was trying to blackmail me to get it done I did not complain against her then We havent been in touch since then said Dhuri adding that he called Hegde immediately after learning that he had shared information with the policeHegde who is an exMLA has asked for investigation of the harassment messages and phone calls that continued till 2015 even as he avoided meeting the woman ldquoI told her clearly that I was not interested in meeting her forget having any kind of relationship with her as she seeks Even on January 6 and 7 2021 she WhatsApped me I did not respond to messages except by sending her an emojirdquo he saidHedge said he was shocked to see and read in the media her allegations against Munde ldquoThis is when I decided to inform you about her Today they have targeted him Munde a couple of years ago it could have been me and tomorrow it will be someone else This is a process to lure honey trap blackmail and extort money and I would request the Mumbai police to file an FIR and take the matter to its logical conclusionrdquo added HegdeWill discuss with colleagues PawarNCP chief Pawar said he would share the information that Munde gave him with his party colleagues ldquoThe charges against him are serious It seems he had anticipated personal attacks in this particular case and moved the high court which gave him relief I will have to share Mundersquos submission with my senior party colleagues Then only I can deciderdquo he told reportersldquoOur priority is to make things clear from our side instead of levelling allegations against the opposition that is calling for Mundersquos head I must also tell you that Munde hasnrsquot given me his resignationrdquo he added In the evening Pawar summoned senior police officers to his residence to know more about the case Senior leader Praful Patel also met the party presidentThe BJP has demanded Mundersquos resignation on moral grounds The partyrsquos state president Chandrakant Patil has said Munde has accepted certain facts that go against him legally and morally ldquoIf he doesnrsquot resign then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar should ask him to quit I appeal to Munde to take a call first If nothing happens even after our demand the BJP will take to the streetsrdquo he said on Wednesday