Badlapur sexual assault: MVA calls for statewide bandh, CM Eknath Shinde terms protest politically motivated

Meanwhile, MVA objects to Nikam as prosecutor, saying BJP man can’t probe a BJP-run school

While the poll-bound Opposition has come up with a strategy to corner the government over the Badlapur sexual assault case by calling for a state bandh on August 24, CM Eknath Shinde has alleged that Tuesday’s stir was politically motivated and planned. “Protests don’t happen this way. The number of local protesters could be counted on fingers,” he said.

Most of the protesters were brought in vehicles from outside, and they held placards against the ‘CM Ladki Bahin Yojna’ [the government’s ambitious scheme of cash assistance for women]. The minister [Girish Mahajan] had agreed to the protesters’ demands, but they did not leave [the railway tracks they occupied for over 10 hours]. It was clear that they wanted to malign the government,” said Shinde, adding that the Opposition had problems with the scheme.

MVA bandh

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders, who were supposed to talk about seat-sharing for the Assembly elections on Wednesday, instead discussed the Badlapur incident and decided to call for a state-wide bandh on August 24. As a nodal spokesperson, state Congress President Nana Patole said in a statement that the school where the incidents happened was affiliated with the BJP and RSS. “The matter is being buried because they don’t want a bad name for the school. CCTV footage of the school is missing. We request the people of Maharashtra to participate in the bandh,” he added.

Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Sushma Andhare sits on a dharna at Badlapur police station on Wednesday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Patole said that MVA leaders cancelled seat-sharing talks to take up a sensitive issue of crime against women. “The government is spending on organising big events for the Ladki Bahin scheme, but women are not being protected. We wonder whether the government exists. There is a question mark over the police who kept the mother of the victim waiting for hours at the police station. Who does this government want to protect in this case?” he asked.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) deputy leader Sushma Andhare said the sit-in protest in front of the local police station in Badlapur would not end until the CM and home minister resigned. She demanded that police cases against the parent protesters be withdrawn immediately.

‘Why Nikam?’

Opposition leader in the Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar objected to Ujjwal Nikam’s appointment as a special prosecutor in the Badlapur sexual assault case. He said both Nikam and the school management were affiliated with the BJP, and the former was hired to protect the party affiliates. Nikam said Wadettiwar was a habitual offender as far as making unfounded allegations was concerned.

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