The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a coalition government in Maharashtra, has announced a statewide ‘Maharashtra Bandh’ on August 24th. This protest is in response to the alleged sexual assault of two young girls at a school in Badlapur, Thane district. The decision was taken during a meeting on Wednesday that also discussed seat-sharing for the upcoming assembly elections.
The MVA’s call for the bandh is supported by its constituent parties – the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (SP) headed by Sharad Pawar. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut stated that the people of Maharashtra are outraged by the incident and that FIRs have been filed against the protesters. He further emphasized that the MVA will call for a Maharashtra Bandh on August 24th in response to the Badlapur incident.
NCP-SCP leader Jitendra Awhad echoed similar sentiments, commenting that the current government is unconstitutional and that a Maharashtra Bandh is necessary due to the rise in criminal activities. Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat also added his support, stating that the seriousness of the Badlapur incident led to the call for a Bandh on August 24th.
Impact on Services:
While the opposition parties have called for the Maharashtra Bandh, the state government has not officially supported it. This means that buses and metros are expected to operate as usual. However, schools and colleges that are usually closed on Saturdays will be shut for the day. Banks will be closed nationwide on August 24th as it is the fourth Saturday of the month. This closure is in line with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) rules, which mandate bank closures on the second and fourth Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays, and regional holidays.
The Badlapur Sexual Abuse Case:
The incident in Badlapur has sparked widespread outrage. On August 17th, police arrested an attendant for allegedly abusing two minor girls. Following this arrest, a large protest erupted at Badlapur Railway Station where demonstrators pelted stones at the police. In response, Maharashtra Police arrested over 40 individuals and filed an FIR against 300 people for stone-pelting, disrupting train services, and lathi charges on Tuesday.
The Maharashtra Bandh is intended to put pressure on the government to address the issue of rising crime and to ensure justice for the victims. The MVA hopes that the bandh will serve as a wake-up call for the authorities to take concrete measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
