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Mumbai: Shiv Sena UBT MLA Aaditya Thackeray fiercely criticised the Maharashtra government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, for its inadequate response to the horrific sexual abuse case involving two minor girls in Badlapur. The girls were harassed by a school cleaner and Thackeray expressed his outrage over the government's handling of the situation and the protests that followed.
Thackeray condemned the government for its typical, yet outrageous, response to the protests. He specifically targeted the actions taken by the administration, including the police lathi charge on the protesters.
Thackeray also called out statements made by leaders from the BJP and the Shinde-led Sena, which sparked widespread criticism during the ongoing protests. He pointed to BJP MLA Kisan Kathore's remark that the protests were a political stunt and the derogatory comment made by Waman Mhatre, a senior leader in Shinde's faction, who asked a reporter why she was covering the story as if she had been raped.
Thackeray Attacks CM Shinde Over Slow Probe
In a social media post, Thackeray questioned why CM Shinde should not resign, especially in light of the mishandling of the protests and the failure to act promptly in the case. He also questioned why the Home Minister or Education Minister had not spoken out earlier about the incident. Thackeray highlighted the fact that it took the police 13 hours to file an FIR against the alleged sexual predator, yet they were quick to lathi charge and file cases against those protesting the inaction.
Thackeray also criticised the government for the delay in passing the Shakti Bill, a piece of legislation aimed at enhancing protections against sexual offenses, which has been awaiting the President's nod for four years. He condemned the decision to shut down internet services in Badlapur as an attempt to silence dissent, arguing that the government should focus on stopping crime rather than suppressing voices against it.
Sack Waman Mhatre, Suspend Kisan Kathore: Aaditya Thackeray
In another post, Thackeray laid out a series of demands for the Shinde government. He called for CM Shinde to apologise for the police lathi charge on protesters and demanded the withdrawal of all FIRs filed against those who took part in the protests.
Thackeray also called for the sacking of Waman Mhatre for his offensive remark towards the journalist and the suspension of Kisan Kathore for dismissing the protests as politically motivated. Additionally, Thackeray demanded the immediate restoration of internet services in Badlapur.
Thackeray emphasized that citizens across the country have protested against governments that fail to act swiftly on public issues and the Badlapur case is no different. He criticised the Shinde-led government for its heavy-handed approach to the protests and for failing to adequately address the serious allegations of sexual abuse.
