Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai (AJD)

Mumbai, Feb 28: Facing attack from BJP, Maharashtra forest minister Sanjay Rathod on Sunday February 28 resigned after being linked to a woman’s death. After submitting his resignation to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Rathod made the announcement.

"There has been a lot of dirty politics over the issue of the woman’s death. Attempts were made to tarnish my image and destroy my reputation I had built after 30 years of social work. I was saying that let the probe happen before taking any decision. But the opposition threatened to disrupt the budget session," Rathod said.

He further said that he had resigned to facilitate a free and fair probe.

BJP has been linking him to death of Pooja Chavan (23), a resident of Beed district, who was found dead in Pune on February 8, apparently after falling off from the building in which she lived. The party has accused Rathod of having links with the woman after his purported photographs, audio and video clips with her went viral on social media

However, leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis demanded that an FIR should be filed against him and merely his resignation was not enough.