Maharashtra’s Food and Civil Supplies Minister and NCP leader Dhananjay Munde was absent from the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, citing eye surgery as the reason. His absence comes at a time when he is facing political heat over the arrest of his close aide, Walmik Karad, in an extortion case linked to the murder of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district.

Adding to the controversy, social activist Anjali Damania recently accused Munde of corruption during his tenure as Agriculture Minister in Eknath Shinde’s cabinet. Damania demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis take action and seek Munde’s resignation in the cabinet meeting itself. Speculations arose that Munde’s absence from the cabinet meeting was an attempt to avoid further controversy.

Munde had also skipped Chief Minister Fadnavis’s Beed tour last week, further fueling discussions about political pressure. However, the minister released an official statement clarifying that his absence was solely due to medical reasons. He stated that doctors had advised him to avoid sunlight and bright lights for 10 days following his surgery.

A few days ago, he tweeted about his eye surgery, which was done under the supervision of senior ophthalmologist Dr. T. P. Lahane. It has been six days since the procedure, and he is following medical advice.

Officials confirmed that both Chief Minister Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had been informed about Munde’s inability to attend the meeting. “There is no other reason behind his absence,” the statement emphasized.