Pune (Maharashtra) [India], March 15 (ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday expressed his concerns over the recent sarpanch murder in Beed, Maharashtra, stating that the district was once known for its peaceful atmosphere.

Pawar, who had elected six members in Beed, highlighted the cordial relations that existed in the region and accused that some people decided to 'misuse' power and its repercussions can be witnessed in the district.

He invited the Mahayuti government to take action against those 'polluting' the peaceful atmosphere in Beed.

'Beed was a district that took everyone on a peaceful path...I had elected six members there, and there was a kind of cordial atmosphere there. Unfortunately, some people decided to misuse their power. We have been seeing the results of this in Beed for the last few months... A very strict policy needs to be made regarding those who pollute the environment...' Pawar said.

Reacting to actor Rahul Solapurkar's claims about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, which triggered a massive row, Pawar urged the state government in Maharashtra to tackle such 'elements.' He said that the government must not remain a mute spectator when someone tries to divide people on the lines of caste and religion.

'I will not accept such an atmosphere in the state. However, the situation is different in a few places. The state government should make a decision to tackle elements taking advantage of this. A strict stand should be taken. Someone is trying to misuse power and trying to broaden the divide among people on the basis of caste and religion, so state government should not remain a mute spectator,' Pawar said.

Over a week ago, in the wake of NCP MLA Dhananjay Munde's resignation over his aide's link to the Beed sarpanch murder case, former Maharashtra LoP and Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar said that the matter should be investigated in depth and Munde should be made a co-accused in the FIR.

On March 4, NCP MLA Dhananjay Munde submitted his resignation as minister, which Fadnavis accepted and forwarded to the Governor for further action.

Following this development, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said on Wednesday that administering the oath of office to Dhananjay was the biggest mistake, claiming that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis himself called Munde and asked for his resignation.

Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan accepted Munde's resignation as Minister of Food and Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection.

Munde's close aide, Walmik Karad, was sent to judicial custody in January this year in a Rs 2 crore extortion case allegedly linked to the murder case of Beed's sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. (ANI)