On Wednesday, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) called for a day-long Maharashtra Bandh on 24th August in protest against the Badlapur incident. The MVA said all three parties of Mahavikas Aghadi will participate in this day-long bandh. Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded that the sexual abuse case of school girls in Badlapur be fast-tracked and speedy justice ensured to the victims. He said on the one hand the state government is running the Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin scheme, but daughters of sisters are not safe.
The former Maharashtra chief minister also alleged that politics was played over crime against women by targeting certain States. "The (Badlapur) case should be fast-tracked and speedy justice should be ensured to the victims," he said.
Thackeray claimed the school where the girls were allegedly abused sexually was linked to BJP leaders.
Thousands of protesters on Tuesday blocked railway tracks at Badlapur station over the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by the school sweeper in the washroom, leading to massive disruption of local train services and diversion of some long-distance trains.
Police broke up the protests after nine hours by lathicharging protesters at the railway station. Police on August 17 arrested an attendant at the school for sexually abusing two girl students of the kindergarten. As per the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school, an official said.
In the meantime, the internet services in Badlapur were suspended while most schools remained shut on Wednesday. Talking to PTI, DCP Sudhakar Pathare said on Wednesday that internet services in the town have been suspended in the wake of the protest and subsequent violence.
"The internet services will be restored after taking a review of the situation in the town," he said.
At least 17 city police personnel and around eight railway cops were injured in the incidents of stone-pelting at the railway station and other parts of Badlapur during the protest on Tuesday and the investigators have arrested 72 persons in connection with the violence, they said.
According to officials, additional police force has been deployed in the town to maintain law and order, and the situation in the town is limping back to normalcy.
Entire Badlapur town virtually came to a standstill on Tuesday after thousands of protesters blocked railway tracks at the station and stormed a local school building after the alleged sexual abuse of two girls by the school sweeper in the washroom last week.
The protesters hurled stones at police personnel and vandalised the school building over the sexual abuse incident. The police cane-charged the protesters to disperse them and clear the tracks for train movement.
