Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde claimed on Wednesday that the protest in Badlapur, Thane district, concerning the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls was politically motivated and intended to discredit the state government. He further claimed that most of the protesters were from outside the area.
Speaking to reporters, Shinde criticized the opposition, stating that those politicizing the incident should be ashamed. On Tuesday, a significant protest erupted in Badlapur town, where enraged parents, local residents, and others blocked railway tracks and vandalized the school. The demonstration was in response to the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls by a male attendant the previous week.
"The protest was politically motivated because the protesters were not local residents. The local residents who were part of the protest could be counted on fingers," he said. He said state minister Girish Mahajan agreed to all demands of the protestors but they were still not ready to relent. "This means they just wanted to malign the government," he said.
Shinde reported that some protesters were seen carrying placards referencing the 'Ladki Bahin Yojana,' a flagship financial assistance scheme for women introduced by his government. The placards expressed a preference for protection for their daughters over the scheme's monthly sum of Rs 1,500. The protest led to the blocking of rail routes, resulting in the suspension of rail services between Badlapur and Ambernath for more than 10 hours."Does anyone protest like this? The stomachache the opposition is suffering from due to this scheme is visible from yesterday's protest," Shinde said.
During the protest in Badlapur, at least 25 police personnel, including railway officers, sustained injuries from stone-pelting at the railway station and other locations within the town. The police have arrested at least 72 persons and registered four FIRs related to the incidents of violence.