2 months ago
1
Facing flak implicit her relation with rape-accused ‘godman’ Ashok Kharat, Maharashtra State Commission for Women chairperson Rupali Chakankar connected Friday (March 20, 2026) tendered her resignation, aft being asked to measurement down from her presumption by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, sources confirmed to The Hindu. She was called to ‘Varsha’, the authoritative residence of the Chief Minister, connected Friday (March 20, 2026). The women’s sheet main was slated to conscionable Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar connected Friday (March 20, 2026) nighttime to springiness an mentation and to thereafter tender her resignation.
“We told her that connected motivation grounds, it did not fare good to clasp the presumption anymore. She volition conscionable Sunetra Pawar, and volition enactment distant her side. After she tenders her resignation to Suentra Vahini, the enactment volition determine what is to beryllium done with it,” a elder NCP person told The Hindu.
Opposition took a swipe astatine the Mahayuti implicit the alleged deficiency of coordination and the BJP’s alleged efforts to centralise power.
Rupali Chakankar said she was being targeted due to the fact that she is simply a woman. She added that the video showing her washing the feet of Ashok Kharat was five-six years old. “Our household had considered the Kharat mates arsenic our gurus. It was taken connected Guru Paurnima. One cannot cognize however the idiosyncratic volition behave successful the future. I was myself shocked by the incident.
She justified each her erstwhile actions, saying incorrect quality was being dispersed astir her. She said she had sought beardown enactment successful the matter. “I person tendered my resignation to Sunetra Pawar. She volition instrumentality a telephone connected it,” she said portion speaking with reporters successful Pune.
The measurement was taken aft Ms Chakankar’s sanction was associated with self-proclaimed godman and numerologist Ashok Kharat, who is accused of allegedly raping and blackmailing respective women. He is presently nether arrest. Ms Chakankar’s photos and videos showing her washing his feet and holding an umbrella for him had gone viral connected societal media. She and a fewer of her enactment members had said that irrespective of the videos and photos, impartial probe should beryllium conducted successful the matter. Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam excessively had jumped into the controversy, saying that nationalist leaders bash not ever cognize the inheritance of the radical they are photographed and videographed with successful public.
The Opposition had targeted the authorities implicit the issue, seeking the resignation of the women’s sheet chief. The contented was raised successful the ongoing fund league of the Maharashtra Assembly arsenic well.
On Friday (March 20, 2026), aft the quality of the request for resignation came out, Congress slammed the authorities for its precocious action. “This is not conscionable astir the caller matter. In respective different matters successful the past, Ms Chakankar was recovered siding with the accused. She hardly ever stood for the rights of the women and the victims. Even successful this matter, it is not conscionable astir washing Ashok Kharat’s feet. Over a twelvemonth ago, it was Ms Chakankar who had threatened a writer and had sought his apology for a substance related to Kharat. This shows that she was progressive successful the conspiracy. Women’s committee had issued a amusement origin announcement then. How was specified a announcement sent? As soon arsenic her sanction came up, she should person been dismissed,” Maharashtra Congress president Harshawardhan Sapkal told The Hindu.
He said that she has been fixed a dignified exit instead.
He besides deed retired astatine Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis implicit his request for the resignation. “This is the BJP’s effort to centralise power. As the Home Minister, helium knew of everything. Why didn’t helium enactment then? Even successful the Parth Pawar matter, it was the authorities which said that helium was astatine fault. It was the aforesaid authorities which gave him a cleanable chit. This is thing but governmental oneupmanship successful Mahayuti,” helium said.
Meanwhile, the Women’s Commission has written to the Maharashtra Director General of Police, seeking a probe by a Special Investigation Team successful the matter.
Eom
