Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray. File photo
| Photo Credit: ANI
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Friday (August 23, 2024) called for the immediate withdrawal of charges against those who protested in Badlapur following the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergartener girls at a local school.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, he said that the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has called for a ‘Maharashtra Bandh’ on August 24 to protest against ‘perversion,’ urging citizens from all backgrounds to join the strike.
The former chief minister of Maharashtra insisted that the bandh should be observed ‘strictly’ until 2 P.M. while ensuring that essential services continue to operate. “The bandh is against the ‘perversion’ and people cutting across caste and religion should participate in it. The State police, which is led by a woman officer (DGP (HoPF) Rashmi Shukla), must cooperate and should refrain from using any force. You (Ms. Shukla) will be appreciated as a true ‘Ladli Bhen’”, Mr. Thackeray said.
He condemned the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led government for ‘ongoing arrests’ connected to the Badlapur protests and demanded that all charges against the demonstrators be dropped.
The protests in Thane’s Badlapur, erupted on Tuesday when thousands of residents took to the streets and blocked railway tracks, expressing their anger over the alleged sexual assault of the young girls by a male school staff member, who was apprehended on August 17 and remains in police custody until August 26. Police have arrested 72 people in connection with the violence.
On Thursday, the Sena (UBT) leader dismissed claims that the protest was politically motivated and said anyone suggesting otherwise is either ‘abnormal’ or defending the perpetrators. He was referring to Mr. Shinde’s claim that the protest was politically motivated and most of the protesters had come from outside.
“Our bandh call is not driven by political interests. Instead, it aims to raise awareness about prioritising women’s safety and to ‘awaken’ the government to this issue,” he said.
“Those who believe the Badlapur protest has political undertones are either abnormal or shielding the culprits,” Mr. Thackeray said asking Mr. Shinde where was he when the protests took place.
