Gopinath Munde

Gopinath Pandurang Munde (12 December 1949 – 3 June 2014) was an Indian politician from Maharashtra. And a popular Leader in Maharashtra called as a Lokneta. He was a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in Narendra Modi's Cabinet, Four Number in Seniority Ranking which, however, was short-lived due to his death in a road accident. He was a member of Maharashtra's Legislative Assembly (MLA) for five terms during 1980–1985 and 1990–2009. He was also the leader of opposition in the Assembly during 1992–1995.

Gopinathrao Munde
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office 16 May 2009 – 3 June 2014
Preceded by	Jaisingrao Gaikwad Patil
Succeeded by	Pritam Gopinathrao Munde
Constituency	Beed
Minister of Rural Development
In office 26 May 2014 – 3 June 2014
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Jairam Ramesh
Succeeded by	Nitin Jairam Gadkari
Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation
In office 26 May 2014 – 3 June 2014
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki
Succeeded by	Nitin Gadkari
Minister of Panchayati Raj
In office 26 May 2014 – 3 June 2014
Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Preceded by	Kishore Chandra Deo
Succeeded by	Nitin Gadkari
4th Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra
In office 14 March 1995 – 11 October 1999
Preceded by	Ramrao Adik
Succeeded by	Chhagan Bhujbal
MLA, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
In office 1980-85. 1990 – 2009
Preceded by	Panditrao Narayanrao Dound
Succeeded by	Constituency Abolished
Constituency	Renapur
Personal details
Born	12 December 1949 Parli, Hyderabad State, India (now in Maharashtra, India)
Died	3 June 2014 (aged 64) New Delhi, India
Nationality	Indian
Political party	Bhartiya Janata Party
Spouse(s)	Pradnya
Children	Pankaja Munde-Palwe Pritam Munde-Khade Yashashri Munde
Website	www.gopinathraomunde.com

He had held the post of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra in 1995–1999.[1] Munde was elected to Lok Sabha in 2009 and 2014, and served as the deputy leader of the BJP in the Lok Sabha. He was appointed in Modi's cabinet and took the oath on 26 May, but died in New Delhi a week later on 3 June 2014.[2] As per media reports he died in a road accident. However, on 21 Jan 2019, a US hacker claimed that Mr. Munde was murdered.[3] He is the shortest served Cabinet minister ever in Indian history.

Childhood and education

Munde was born in Parali, Maharashtra, on 12 December 1949, to Pandurang and Limbabai Munde in a middle class Vanjari farmer's family.[4]

His primary education was in the village that did not have a school building. The "school" was held under the shade of a tree. He was an average student; not very bright, not a dullard either.

He moved on to tehsil town Parali for the secondary education in the Zilla Parishad School. He used to go to Arya Samaj Mandir everyday to read newspapers and books and listen to discourses given by men of wisdom. After matriculation, he joined the college in Ambejogai for graduation in Commerce. He did not have political background in his family, yet he was drawn to the students' movement in the college. He became a kingmaker of sorts, ensuring victory of members of his group though he did not win an election even once during those four memorable years.

Munde attended a government primary school, in Nathra village, Beed district where classes were conducted "under a tree". He later attended the Zilla Parishad high school in Parali. He obtained a B.Com. from college in Ambejogai.[4] Subsequently, he studied at the ILS College in Pune.

After Gopinath Munde became Rural Dev. Minister in 2014, controversy erupted over his educational qualification. According to the affidavit submitted to Election Commission by Munde for the Lok Sabha elections, he graduated from New Law College, Pune in 1976 but the college was established in 1978.[5] Later it was confirmed that the degree was issued by the Pune University and not by the college. He has done a BCom and a BGL. he did an LLB for two years from the ILS College. However, it isn't the college that issues the degree certificate, it's Pune University.[5]

Political career

Munde got involved in politics when he met Pramod Mahajan, a friend and colleague in the college.[6] As a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, he took part in the agitation against the state of emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was incarcerated in the Nashik central jail until the Emergency was lifted.

In 1971, he associated with the campaign of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh candidate in the Lok Sabha election in the Beed constituency. He attended the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's Shiksha Varga (Training Camp) held in Pune that year. He soon became the Sambhajinagar Mandal Karyavah, looking after half a dozen shakhas of the RSS, and subsequently, the in-charge of its Pune City Students' Cell. Later, he was made a member of the executive committee of the city RSS. The Janata Party by this time had split, and the Bharatiya Janata Party, founded by the leaders the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh had come into existence. Munde was made President of the Maharashtra unit of the BJP's youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha.

Vidhan Sabha

He contested election from Renapur (Vidhan Sabha constituency) in 1978 but lost. He was first elected to Vidhan Sabha from Renapur in 1980 as BJP candidate, and later represented the seat again in 1995, 1999 and 2004. He was Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha from 12 December 1991 to 14 March 1995. Munde was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra when Manohar Joshi-led government took over the reins of the state on 14 March 1995.[6]

Lok Sabha

Munde served as a member of the 15th Lok Sabha (2009–2014), representing the Beed constituency. Munde defeated Rameshrao Baburao Kokate (Adaskar) an NCP Candidate.[7][8] In 2014, Munde again won the Lok sabha election from Beed Constituency by margin of 140,000 votes. Subsequently, on 26 May 2014, he was appointed as Minister of Rural Development in the cabinet of Prime minister Narendra Modi.[9] Within a few days, he was involved in a car accident and died within a few minutes of the mishap.

Personal life

Munde's father Pandurangrao and mother Limbabai struggled against heavy odds and did not spare any efforts to provide for his education. After the death of his father in 1969, his brothers took care of his education. He was the third child in the family. His wife Pradnya is a graduate and a housewife. He met her during his college days at Ambajogai. Her elder brother Pramod Mahajan was Information and Broadcasting Minister in the Atal Behari Vajpayee government.

Munde has three daughters, named Pankaja, Preetam and Yashashri. Pankaja Munde, the eldest daughter, was a minister in Maharashtra Government from 2014 to 2019. Pritam Munde, his second daughter, is a member of Lok Sabha since 2014, first elected from her father's seat which fell vacant after his sudden death.[4] His nephew, Dhananjay Munde, is a member of Nationalist Congress Party, and a cabinet minister in Maharashtra government since 2019.

In the 1990s, when he was Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, he was embroiled in a scandal about the purchase of a flat by a dancer named Barkha Patil with whom he had a son named Pratik Gopinath Munde. [10] The controversy was rekindled when Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign in 2011 released the documents about the purchase of the flat to Barkha Gopinath Munde. [11]

Death

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays homage to his colleague Munde.

As per media reports, Munde met with a road accident in the early morning of 3 June 2014, while on his way to Delhi airport. He was going for his first official meeting after taking the post.[12] The accident took place between Safdarjung Rd and Prithviraj Rd, New Delhi[13] where his car was hit by an speeding cab. He was immediately rushed to the AIIMS hospital but later went into cardiac arrest. He was administered CPR but could not be resuscitated and was declared dead at 7:20 a.m.[14]

Munde suffered cervical fractures due to which supply of oxygen to his brain was cut off. Further, his liver was ruptured due to impact of accident[15] According to the preliminary post mortem report, his liver ruptured due to the accident leading to cardiac arrest.[16]

His funeral was held at 2pm on 4 June 2014 at his native place Parali Vaijenath near Beed. Pankaja Munde, Gopinath Munde's daughter performed the last rites to her father.[17]

The accident as a reason behind his death was questioned and raised speculations in media when on 21 Jan 2019 a US hacker claimed that Mr. Munde was murdered.[3] Followed after this claim a statement was issued by BJP union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, saying Munde's death was caused by neck injury[18] when in the post mortem report it was mentioned that he died because of liver rupture.[19] Amidst the speculations, Munde's nephew Dhananjay Munde also have asked for probe into his death.[20]

References

1. "Interview : Gopinath mundeHe". Rediff. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013.
2. "Indian minister dies in car accident". PressTV. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
3. "EVM hacking: US hacker claims Gopinath Munde was murdered, 2014 polls were rigged; EC mulling legal action | India News". timesnownews.com. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
4. Sarkar, Sonia (3 July 2011). "The non-Brahmins in the party feel they are being ignored'". Telegraph. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
5. BJP's Gopinath Munde defends his degree, says University issued it, not college
6. "The Biography of BJP Leader Gopinath Munde".
7. "Childhood". gopinathmunde.com. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
8. "Fifteenth Lok SabhaGopinath Pandurang profile". delhi: National Informatics Centre. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
9. "Gopinath Munde takes oath as Cainet Minister". Economics Times. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
10. https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/states/story/19970131-gopinath-munde-sees-sharad-pawars-hand-in-barkha-patil-controversy-832948-1997-01-31
11. https://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/powerhouse-who-towered-over-both-friends-and-foes/
12. "Gopinath Munde passes away following road accident in Delhi". FirstPost. 3 June 2014.
13. "Exact sequence of Gopinath Munde's accident". ABP Live. 3 June 2014.
14. "Union Minister Gopinath Munde dies in a road accident in Delhi". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
15. "Union Minister Gopinath Munde dies after car crash; Modi says his demise leaves a void". Indian Express. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
16. "Gopinath Munde died of cardiac arrest, says Post Mortem Report". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 3 June 2014.
17. Lighting her father's pyre: How Pankaja Munde made history, Firstpost. India
18. PTI (22 January 2019). "Congress organised EVM hackathon in London, claims Ravi Shankar Prasad". Oneindia. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
19. "Gopinath Munde's liver ruptured, cardiac arrest due to shock: Post-mortem report". The Indian Express. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
20. MumbaiJanuary 22, Mayuresh Ganapatye; January 22, 2019UPDATED; Ist, 2019 19:48. "Who killed Gopinath Munde? Nephew asks for probe". India Today. Retrieved 28 January 2019.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Bhujbal-Munde-pitch-for-OBC-census/article16365507.ece

External links