Gopinath Munde

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]

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.

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]

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]

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