Badlapur Sexual Assault Case: Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray Demands Withdrawal of Cases Against Protesters

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday called for the withdrawal of cases against people who protested in Badlapur following the alleged sexual abuse of two kindergarten girls at a local school.

During a news conference, Uddhav Thackeray stated that the August 24 Maharashtra Bandh, organized by the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), is a protest against "perversion." He urged people from all castes and religions to join the bandh.

Thackeray said that the bandh should be strictly observed until 2 p.m., with emergency services remaining operational. Criticizing the Eknath Shinde government for continuing to make arrests related to the Badlapur protest, he reiterated that the cases against the protesters must be withdrawn.

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A massive protest rocked Badlapur town in Thane district on Tuesday after thousands of people hit the streets and spilled onto railway tracks to protest the alleged sexual assault of two four-year-old girls by a male attendant at a local school.

At least 25 police personnel were injured during incidents of stone-pelting at the railway station and other parts of Badlapur amid the protest. In connection with the violence, police have arrested 72 people. The accused in the case was arrested on August 17 and has been remanded to police custody until August 26.