Thane: Party workers protest after former BJP office-bearer booked for sexually harassing police woman

A day after police registered a case against a former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionary from Maharashtra’s Thane district for allegedly threatening a policewoman and demanding sexual favours from her, party workers staged a protest on Thursday condemning the action.

Hundreds of BJP members carrying party flags and placards walked to the Manpada police station in Dombivali and shouted slogans against the in-charge for booking the BJP leader.

The case was registered against the former party office-bearer for repeatedly threatening the woman, whose husband is also a police officer, between 2018 to 2023, officials had said on Wednesday.

Kalyan district president of the BJP Sashikant Kamble told the media the police had taken this action with a vengeance and that the former party functionary was not at all at fault. Former Thane MP Jagannath Patil was also a part of the morcha. Though it was claimed to be an all-party morcha, only BJP members could be seen.

Requesting anonymity, a local resident wondered why BJP members were protesting when their party is in power and the home ministry is headed by their senior leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.