Amidst the political turmoil surrounding the murder of a sarpanch, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday issued a stern warning to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers in Beed district, urging them to refrain from involvement in extortion activities targeting development projects. According to PTI, Pawar emphasised the need for his party workers to uphold a "clean character" and declared that political interference in administrative matters would not be tolerated.

Pawar’s remarks come against the backdrop of the arrest of Walmik Karad, a close associate of state NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, in connection with an extortion case linked to the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in Beed district. The opposition has been demanding Munde’s removal from office to ensure an impartial probe into the case.