MVA Calls Maharashtra Bandh On August 24 Over Badlapur Sexual Abuse Incident
MVA Calls Maharashtra Bandh On August 24 Over Badlapur Sexual Abuse Incident
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has announced a Maharashtra Bandh on August 24 to protest the sexual abuse of two young girls at a Badlapur school and the increasing crimes against women and girls in the state. Leaders from the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP convened to discuss the incident and broader safety concerns. Badlapur came to a standstill on Tuesday after thousands of protesters blocked railway tracks and stormed the school where the alleged abuse occurred. The protesters, enraged by the incident, hurled stones at police officers and vandalized the school building. In response, the police used force to disperse the crowd and restore train services.
The alleged perpetrator, Akshay Shinde, a school sweeper, is accused of abusing the girls in the school’s restroom. Following the incident, the school management suspended the principal, a class teacher, and a female attendant. The state government also suspended three police officers, including a senior inspector, for failing to properly investigate the case.
Angry parents and local residents, including many women, gathered outside the school on Tuesday morning and staged a ‘rail roko’ protest, disrupting local train services. The school involved is reportedly connected to a relative of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Badlapur.
