Amid heavy rainfall, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, along with party leaders and workers, staged a protest in Mumbai on Saturday against the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl at a local school in Badlapur. Addressing party workers during protest, Thackeray criticised the government for its handling of the situation and expressed frustration over the delay in judicial proceedings.
Visuals from Mumbai Protest
Thackeray asked his party workers to run a signature campaign with the slogan ‘Bahin Surakshit tar Ghar Surakshit’ (home is safe if sisters are secure).
"When the government felt that Maharashtra would remain closed, they sent their followers to the court. Our case has been in the Supreme Court for the last two years, and dates are being given. We are confident that we will get justice. Yesterday the court showed that the court can take a decision so quickly, " Thackeray said as quoted by ANI.
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"On one hand, the sister is being tortured and these people are tying rakhi. The Shakti Act that we had made has been sent to the President. I want to appeal to the President to pay attention to the Shakti Act that has been sent to your office and that law should be implemented in Maharashtra as soon as possible," he added.
In Pune, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, along with Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders, including MP Supriya Sule, led a silent sit-in protest at the statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar against the Badlapur incident. During the protest, Sharad Pawar said, "There is not a day in Maharashtra when there is no news of atrocities against women ... The government should take this incident seriously. The government is saying that the opposition is doing politics, calling it politics shows how insensitive the government is."
Visuals from Pune Protest
The MVA had initially planned a half-day strike for Saturday but changed it to a statewide sit-in protest with black flags and bands across the mouth, arms, and wrists after the Bombay High Court intervened. The protests did not disrupt normal life across the state. The leaders, including Pawar, Thackeray, and Congress leader Nana Patole, said that they respected the court’s order but stressed their continued demand for the arrest of the accused.
Protests also occurred in various locations across Pune district and other parts of Maharashtra.