In a significant development, the Bombay High Court on Friday restrained any political party or person from calling for Maharashtra Bandh. This means, the MVA and other political parties cannot hold any bandh in Maharashtra on Saturday. The Bombay High Court issued a notice to all the political parties and asked them not to call any bandh on Saturday. The court also instructed the entire state machinery to take legal action against anyone who participates in the bandh.
While hearing some pleas about the Maharashtra Bandh on Friday, a Bombay HC bench led by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya said that the court will "restrain" the political parties from proceeding with their ‘Maharashtra Bandh’.
The decision from the court comes as the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Wednesday called for a “Maharashtra bandh” on August 24 to protest against the alleged sexual assault on two young girls at a school in Badlapur of Thane district.
The opposition parties including the MVA alleged that the parents of the girls were made to wait for 11 hours at Badlapur police station before the officials took note of their complaints.
Earlier in the day, Uddhav Thackeray on Friday demanded the withdrawal of cases against those who had protested in Badlapur against the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls, warning that the opposition would have to hit the streets if it is not done.
Uddhav Thackeray said the August 24 ‘Maharashtra Bandh’ called by the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is not political but against “perversion” and urged people cutting across caste and religion to participate in it.
He claimed the bandh would be observed on behalf of the people of the state. Slamming the Eknath Shinde government’s action over the Badlapur protest, Thackeray said, “Arrests are still taking place in Badlapur. The cases against the protesters must be withdrawn or else we have to hit the streets,” he said.
