Opposition parties stage protests across Maharashtra following Badlapur assault

Mumbai: A day after calling off the Maharashtra Bandh in response to the Bombay High Court order, three constituents of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) staged protests across the state to condemn the sexual assaults on minor girls in Badlapur. Senior leaders of the opposition alliance, including Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Nana Patole, Supriya Sule, and Balasaheb Thorat, led demonstrations in various parts of the state. In some districts, the ruling Mahayuti alliance also resorted to protests against the Badlapur incident.
Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray led the protest at Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar, central Mumbai. In Pune, NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar, party MP Supriya Sule, and Congress leaders Mohan Joshi and Ravindra Dhangekar staged a silent protest at the Ambedkar statue near Pune station, braving morning rains. These leaders and workers, with black ribbons tied on their arms and foreheads, took a pledge to act against atrocities against women.
At the Sena Bhavan protest, Thackeray said, “Instead of acting against the accused, the state government is supporting them. In such a scenario, the people come together.” He questioned the opposition to their bandh, stating, “We called a bandh for the security of women, sisters and daughters. Why has the bandh been opposed in Maharashtra and not after the bandh organised in the backdrop of the Kolkata case?”
Thackeray further criticised the government, saying, “Maharashtra has never seen such a shameless government. When crimes against women are on the rise, these ‘kans mamas’ were busy tying rakhis,” targeting Chief Minister Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar. He urged the President to clear the Shakti bill, saying, “I urge the President, who is also a woman, to remove the dust on the file of the Shakti bill and clear it now.”
Responding to accusations that the protests were politically motivated, Sharad Pawar said, “The government is saying that the opposition is doing politics. Calling it politics shows how insensitive the government is.”
Sena MP Sanjay Raut defended their call for the bandh, saying, “Our call for the bandh was constitutional, and people have the right to raise their voice against atrocities.” He added, “It is strange that the court terms our bandh unconstitutional but does not give any verdict on the unconstitutional government in the state.”
To counter the opposition’s protest, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged demonstrations at various places in the state. In Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, BJP workers protested demanding a speedy trial and strict punishment for the Badlapur case accused. State Housing Minister Atul Save, who led the protest, said, “The case should be tried in a fast-track court and the accused be punished severely. We would not tolerate atrocities against women.”
Protests were also held in Thane, where Shiv Sena-UBT and Congress jointly staged a demonstration at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and Sena-UBT district head Kedar Dighe participated in the protest.
In Nagpur, Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar and Congress MLAs Vikas Thakre and Abhijit Wanjari held a silent protest at Sanvidhan Chowk. Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat, along with other leaders, staged a silent protest by tying his mouth with a black ribbon in Sangamner, Ahmednagar.