Maharashtra Bandh: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar expressed his support for the Maharashtra Bandh scheduled on Saturday (August 24) as a means to protest the recent Badlapur sexual assault incident. He urged the people of Maharashtra to join the bandh and participate in the protest peacefully. Pawar described the incident in Badlapur as a matter of grave concern, noting that it has sparked widespread reactions from various parts of the state. Highlighting the severity of the situation, he called for strict action against those responsible. Pawar also emphasised the need for the Home Department to stay vigilant, given the growing number of incidents targeting girls and women across Maharashtra. He acknowledged the rising anger among the public due to such occurrences and reiterated the importance of taking decisive steps to address these issues.
What Sharad Pawar said?
"This bandh should be done peacefully. My party will participate in it. I am sure people of Maharashtra will participate in the bandh", the NCP leader said. He further stated "I don't want to accuse anyone here but these types of incidents are serious. These are not stopping. We need to create awareness among people. We need to create awareness among law and order machinery too to stop such incidents". He also urged the government to handle this situation sensitively.
Pawar further emphasised that the government must approach this situation with sensitivity. He criticized the actions of authorities for booking individuals who were peacefully protesting, arguing that these people were merely expressing their justified anger over the incident. Pawar stressed that it is essential for the Home Department to manage this issue with the necessary care and consideration, ensuring that the focus remains on addressing the core problem rather than penalizing those who are voicing their concerns in a peaceful manner.
Why has Maharashtra bandh been called?
It should be noted here that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackrey called for a Maharashtra bandh on Saturday to stage a protest against the Badlapur incident. He further stated that the bandh is against the atrocities committed against women and there is no political motive behind it. "Many people have started to feel that girls are not safe in schools. All citizens will take part in tomorrow's bandh, not just Mahavikas Aghadi. The bandh will continue till 2 pm. Bus and train services should also be shut during tomorrow's bandh. You may belong to any religion or caste, but make this bandh successful for the protection of your daughters and sisters," the former CM said.
Badlapur sexual assault case
Earlier on August 17, Police 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. In the wake of the incident, the school management has suspended the principal, a class teacher and a female attendant. The state government on Tuesday ordered the suspension of three police officials, including a senior police inspector, for alleged dereliction of duty in probing the sexual abuse of the two girls.
(With inputs from ANI)
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