After 11 years, Pankaja & Dhananjay come together on Gopinath Munde's death anniversary

Time of India

03-06-2025

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: After a gap of 11 years, the Munde cousins — minister Pankaja and former minister Dhananjay Munde — came together on Tuesday at Gopinathgad, in Beed's Parli Vaijnath, during the death anniversary observance of
BJP
politician
Gopinath Munde
.
Earlier, the cousins used to visit Gopinathgad separately each year, avoiding interaction due to their political differences.
Tuesday's occasion, featuring a religious ceremony and blood donation drive, garnered significant attention across Maharashtra, both for its political importance and the public reunion of the Munde cousins at the annual commemorative event.
While Dhananjay Munde remained silent during the event,
Pankaja Munde
addressed the gathering and shared memories of her father.
Before the event, Pankaja had said, "The NCP is now our ally, so we invited all functionaries from the party, including Dhananjay Munde. He is my cousin, and I am certain he will attend the function."
The cousins, feeling politically isolated, have shown solidarity at public events throughout the past year, having resolved their differences before the previous year's elections.
During her Gopinathgad speech, Pankaja said Dhananjay requested her to speak for the family.
"He (Dhananjay) told me, 'You speak for all of us.' I am grateful to everyone who stood by me over the years as I found my footing in politics. This is a family, and every year, we wonder what we can do to keep Gopinath Munde's memory alive," she said.
The BJP minister in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet highlighted her father's public service. "If people knew how wounded he was, there would have been a wave of blood donations across the country.
Today, we conduct health and blood donation camps to honour his legacy. He lives on through his ideals and the love of the people," she said.
Referencing spiritual matters, Pankaja added, "Even Lord Ram and the Pandavas faced exile. I heard in the keertan today — greatness comes with pain."
Additionally, Pankaja discussed her recent accommodation allocation. "I was finally given the Ramtek bungalow, which I requested back in 2014. At the time, it was occupied by a senior minister. Today, it feels like a great honour and a rare moment in history that I received this bungalow after Munde Saheb. This is not just a residence; it symbolises responsibility and commitment," she said.