Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders, including MP Supriya Sule, led a protest in Pune on Saturday against the alleged sexual assault of a minor girl at a local school in Badlapur.
Amid heavy rainfall, Pawar, Sule, and other party leaders wore black bands on their arms as they staged a silent protest at the statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Pune. Sule condemned the state government, saying, “Incidents of atrocities against women are increasing in the state...There is no fear of the police among people. I condemn the government. Some said that those who had gathered in Badlapur were from outside. I want to say that they were all Indians. I have never seen such an insensitive government ... We will not stop protesting until the accused are arrested," she said as ANI quoted.
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The MVA had initially planned a half-day strike for Saturday but changed it to a statewide sit-in protest with black flags and bands across the mouth, arms, and wrists after the Bombay High Court intervened. The protests did not disrupt normal life across the state. The leaders, including Pawar, Thackeray, and Congress leader Nana Patole, said that they respected the court’s order but stressed their continued demand for the arrest of the accused.
In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and MLA Aditya Thackeray led a silent protest near the Shiv Sena Bhavan, the party headquarters in Dadar.
Visuals from Mumbai:
Protests also took place in various locations across Pune district and other parts of Maharashtra, with a large number of women participating in symbolic black protests.