Badlapur incident hit Maharashtra's image in the country: Sharad Pawar

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NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the Badlapur incident involving the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls at a school has hit the image of Maharashtra in the country, reported news agency PTI.

He accused the state government of forgetting that the responsibility for the safety of women lies with it.

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Pawar, who took part in a silent protest in Pune, said the government is insensitive if it thinks the opposition is playing politics over the Badlapur incident, reported PTI.

"The Badlapur incident has hit the image of Maharashtra in the country," said the chief of NCP (SP), which is a constituent of the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), also comprising Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), reported PTI.

Pawar said such an incident has taken place in the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji, who used to chop off the hands of culprits involved in crimes against women.

Baramati MP Supriya Sule was also part of the silent protest, along with Pawar and office-bearers from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress at Pune railway station.

Sule said several incidents like the Badlapur sexual abuse case are reported in the state.

"The government is insensitive. Is it a mistake to protest against such an incident? In Pune, accused in drug cases are escaping (custody), blood samples are getting swapped (Porsche crash case), and the Koyta gang is active," she alleged, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, the BJP also staged a silent protest against the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Pune.

Office bearers of the BJP, sporting black tapes on their mouths, staged a protest in the city.

Dhiraj Ghate, president of the BJP's city unit, said, "The High Court's order has thwarted the MVA's plan to shut down Maharastra to protest against the unfortunate Badlapur incident," reported PTI.

He claimed that the MVA was making a desperate attempt to politicise the matter, keeping the upcoming assembly elections in mind.

The BJP was staging its agitation to expose the MVA's hypocrisy, he said.

The alleged sexual assault on two 4-year-old girls by a male attendant at a school in Badlapur of Thane district had led to a massive protest in the town on Tuesday, with thousands of people blocking roads and railway tracks and clashing with the police, reported PTI.

The MVA had called for a 'Maharashtra Bandh' on August 24 to protest against the crime against the young girls. However, the Bombay High Court on Friday restrained political parties or individuals from proceeding with the bandh on August 24 or any future date over the Badlapur incident.

(With inputs from PTI)