Badlapur incident: Pawar leads protest in Pune, calls government insensitive
NCP (SP) leaders Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule along with Congress’ Mohan Joshi and Ravindra Dhangekar led the MVA protest in Pune on Saturday morning to condemn the Badlapur incident
Pune: Braving heavy rain, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leaders Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule along with Congress’ Mohan Joshi and Ravindra Dhangekar led the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) protest in the city on Saturday morning to condemn the Badlapur incident.
After the high court denied permission for statewide bandh, the MVA decided to stage silent protest across Maharashtra.
The leaders and workers, with black bands tied on their arms, staged a protest at Ambedkar Statue near Pune Railway Station against the Badlapur incident, where two minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted at a local school.
Pawar said the Badlapur incident has tarnished the image of Maharashtra in the country as the state government has failed in its responsibility to secure women safety.
On accusations by the ruling parties that the protest is politically motivated, he said, “The government is saying that the Opposition is doing politics. Calling it politics shows how insensitive the government is.”
The veteran politician also took an oath along with party workers and said, “We are taking an oath to raise our voice whenever a crime or injustice takes place against women.”
According to Pawar, the Badlapur incident has raised many questions as authorities were found unaware about the gravity of it. “The increasing cases in Maharashtra are disturbing. Cases of women abuse are reported every day and the government should address the issue. It is sad and disturbing that while we are sensitising the government and authorities about the grave issue, they are claiming that the Opposition is politicising the incident. This reflects how sensitive those in power are.”
Sule said, “While the media acted responsibly by not disclosing the identity of survivors and their family of Badlapur incident, now political workers should not visit their homes and make details public.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders and supporters also participated in the agitation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also staged a silent protest against MVA in the city with office-bearers putting black tape on mouth.
Dhiraj Ghate, president, BJP city unit, said, “The high court order has thwarted MVA’s plan to shut down Maharashtra to protest against the unfortunate incident at Badlapur.”
He claimed that MVA was making a desperate attempt to politicise the matter with eye on upcoming assembly elections and BJP was staging the agitation to expose their hypocrisy.
The alleged sexual assault on two four-year-old girls by a male attendant at a school in Badlapur of Thane district had led to a massive protest in the town on Tuesday, with thousands of people blocking roads and railway tracks and clashing with the police.