Badlapur protests: Uddhav seeks ‘Shakti Bill’ passage, Sharad camp demands probe

Amid widespread protests at Badlapur railway station on Tuesday against the sexual assault of two children by a male school attendant, former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray invoked the Shakti Bill, asserting that he would have passed it himself if not for the government being toppled by rebels.

He said that it is the responsibility of those who toppled his government and are now in power to pass the Shakti Bill and take the strictest action.

Last week, two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur were sexually assaulted by a male attendant. The children confided in their parents, who subsequently filed an FIR.

Hundreds of parents from the school in Badlapur have been staging a ‘rail roko’ protest at Badlapur railway station since this morning. They are demanding strict action against the accused and the protest has disrupted the movement of suburban trains.

Maharashtra minister Deepak Kesarkar said that the principal, class teacher and two assistants of the school have been suspended. “Whatever report I have received from our education officer, the incident happened between August 13 to August 16. The complaint was filed on August 18. For nearly 8-12 hours, the cognisance was not taken by the local police station,” Kesarkar added.

NCP (SP) demands high-level inquiry

“I am shocked, saddened, outraged and very perturbed. Women are often told to go outside only at a certain time, with safety, wear certain types of clothes and it was women’s fault. These were just 4-year-old girls. Every parent believes that school is the place outside home, where girls can feel safe,” PTI quoted Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi as saying.

NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Anil Deshmukh said that whenever young girls go to the washroom in schools, there should be an attendant with them.

“We want to know what facilities were available for the children? The state government should conduct an inquiry into all of this as soon as possible. After the inquiry, whoever is found guilty should face strict action,” said Anil Deshmukh.

Meanwhile, Baramati MP Supriya Sule has called for a high-level investigation into the matter and criticized the police for not registering the FIR for over 18 hours after the incident. She stated that the government should resign if it fails to ensure security and justice for the state’s daughters.