Badlapur Tragedy Takes Political Turn: Uddhav Thackeray Demands Shakti Bill, Sharad Pawar's Camp Calls For Pro

Outraged by the sexual assault of two young girls at a Badlapur school, hundreds of parents staged a dramatic protest at the Badlapur railway station on Tuesday, blocking railway tracks and disrupting suburban train services.

The protest was ignited by the assault of two kindergarten girls by a male school attendant, which came to light when the children informed their parents.

Photo Credit: PTI

Badlapur Tragedy Takes Political Turn

In response to the scandal, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray criticized the current government for not passing the Shakti Bill, a measure he claimed he would have enacted had his administration not been ousted. Thackeray urged the current leaders to implement the bill and take stringent action against the perpetrators.

The Maharashtra government has reacted by suspending the principal, class teacher, and two assistants from the affected school. Minister Deepak Kesarkar revealed that the assault occurred between August 13 and August 16, but a complaint was only lodged on August 18. He criticized the delay in police action, noting that the local police station took 8-12 hours to acknowledge the complaint.

The incident has drawn widespread condemnation. Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi expressed her shock and frustration, highlighting the failure of systems meant to protect young children. She criticized societal norms that shift blame onto women and emphasized that schools should be safe havens for children.

NCP leader Anil Deshmukh demanded that schools ensure proper supervision in washrooms and called for a thorough investigation into the facilities and procedures in place at the school. He stressed the need for accountability and urgent action to prevent such incidents.

Additionally, Baramati MP Supriya Sule has called for a high-level investigation, criticizing the police for their delayed response and threatening that the government should resign if it fails to guarantee safety and justice for the state's daughters. The ongoing protests and calls for action underscore the deep concerns and demands for justice in the wake of this troubling incident.