Uddhav Thackeray has announced a Maharashtra bandh to protest against the Badlapur incident
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 23: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has announced a Maharashtra bandh for Saturday to protest against the Badlapur incident. Thackeray emphasized that the bandh is aimed at addressing atrocities against women and is not driven by political motives.
In his statement, Thackeray highlighted concerns about the safety of girls in schools and urged widespread participation in the bandh, which will continue until 2 pm. He called for a suspension of bus and train services during the bandh and encouraged people from all communities to join in for the protection of women.
Thackeray criticized the Maharashtra government for its handling of women's safety issues, stating, "We are not against the Ladli Behan Yojana, but the government must prioritize the safety of women first." He emphasized that the bandh is a peaceful protest and appealed to shopkeepers to support the cause, noting that they too have daughters.
He also addressed the court's reprimand regarding the incident and expressed frustration that, without proper police action, citizens are left with few avenues for redress. Thackeray’s announcement on X highlighted the non-political nature of the bandh, aimed at protesting and combating perversity.
In response to the Badlapur sexual assault case, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has registered an FIR against school authorities for failing to report the incident as required under section 19 of the POCSO Act, which mandates reporting such assaults to the police.