In a significant turn of events, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, consisting of Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, has withdrawn its call for a statewide bandh in Maharashtra. The decision came in response to a Bombay High Court ruling issued on Friday, which declared the bandh unconstitutional.
The bandh was initially proposed to protest against the sexual assault of two four-year-old girls at a school in Badlapur and to pressure the Maharashtra government into taking swift action. The opposition coalition aimed to use the shutdown to draw attention to the incident and demand justice.
However, the Bombay High Court intervened, issuing an order restraining all political parties and individuals from supporting or participating in the bandh. The court directed the Maharashtra government to take all necessary measures to prevent the bandh from taking place.
Sharad Pawar, chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (SP), announced the withdrawal of the bandh call following the court’s ruling. In a statement posted on social media platform X, Pawar acknowledged the court’s order and emphasized the need to respect the judiciary’s decision. He noted that, given the time constraints, it was not feasible to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court.
Congress also complied with the court’s order, with state unit chief Nana Patole announcing that party workers would instead stage protests across Maharashtra on Saturday from 11 am to 12 noon. Patole stated that Congress leaders would demonstrate in district headquarters wearing black bands as a mark of protest against the cases of sexual harassment and the Maharashtra government’s alleged failure to address these issues.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, while expressing his disagreement with the court’s ruling, stated that his party would respect the court’s decision.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde criticized the opposition’s attempt to use the Badlapur incident for political gain. He described the Bombay High Court’s ruling as a “slap” for the opposition, asserting that his government would implement the court’s directive effectively. Speaking at a gathering in Nashik to launch the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin’ scheme, Shinde condemned the opposition’s actions as politicizing the incident and attempting to undermine the government’s efforts in addressing women’s issues.
Sources By Agencies
