MVA slams Maha govt over Badlapur nursery girls rape case, seeks SIT probe

Thane (Maharashtra): As angry citizens’ protests spilled over to the roads and railway tracks of Badlapur town in Maharashtra's Thane district after the alleged sexual assault on two minor girls in a prominent nursery school, the opposition parties on Tuesday targeted the MahaYuti government, and demanded the sacking of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and a probe by SIT.

The alleged incidents of August 12-13 in the toilet of a nursery school run by the Adarsh Vidya Prasarak Sanstha (AVPS), by a contractual sweeper Akshay Shinde, 23, have evoked widespread condemnation and public demonstrations.

Leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties like Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), besides Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, attacked the government on the incident in the home district of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Nationalist Congress Party (SP) Working President Supriya Sule said the incident is “very shocking and serious” and the state home department must take note of the citizens’ anger.

“Citizens are demanding strict action against the murderer who committed this heinous act. The anger of the citizens is very right and the home department needs to take note of their anger,” urged Sule.

She called upon the Thane Police to thoroughly investigate the (accused) person and take strict action against him.

“Apart from this, a case should also be registered against the management of the institution who tried to suppress this matter,” demanded Sule.

Congress Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar called up Thane Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbare and demanded the suspension of the woman police official who reportedly made the victim’s parents sit in the police station for nearly 12 hours before taking their complaint last week.

“This case must be taken up by a fast track court to hear it in three months and the accused must be given the death sentence,” said Wadettiwar.

Leader of Opposition (Council) Ambadas Danve urged the government to ensure the strongest possible punishment for the accused to serve as a deterrent and book all others found guilty.

“The fear of the law has gone out of the minds of criminals. They feel that if others can get away, they also will not be caught and punished,” said a grim Danve.

Congress MP and Mumbai President Varsha Gaikwad said, “The incident of inhumane and cruel treatment of the girls is mind-numbing”, and the issue of women’s safety has become very serious during the Shinde government, while its silence was unbearable.

“The number of crimes against women is also increasing, but the state Home Minister and the government are not at all concerned. It is not enough to simply say 'Ladaki Baheen' and sit with rakhi in hand. If the government wants to preserve the true relationship with the sisters, it also has to fulfil the responsibility of keeping them safe as a true brother,” pointed out Gaikwad.

SS (UBT)’s Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare questioned why schools without CCTVs and ‘sevikas’ (women assistants) were given permission and said “Ladki Bahin can wait, we need ‘Surakshit Bahin’ (secure sister) first”.

Claiming that there is a complete collapse of law and order in the state, SS (UBT)’s spokesperson Kishore Tiwari demanded the immediate sacking of Dy CM Fadnavis and forming an SIT to probe the shocking case.

“The law and order does not exist due to corruption and cash deals to get desired police postings… The CM is like a rubber stamp as there's a complete collapse of law and order due to hostile corruption and cash and getting the desired posting. The BJP is responsible for the present messy situation,” said Tiwari.

Demanding the resignation of both the CM and Deputy CM, VBA Chief Spokesperson Siddharth Mokle said the incident is a blot on humanity but the government is only obsessed about winning the next elections at all costs.

The shocking incidents took place on August 12-13 but came to light only after one of the terrified minor victims complained of irritation in her private parts, and a doctor later confirmed the parents’ worst fears -- that the girl had been sexually assaulted, and later the other incident also was revealed.

After a woman police officer allegedly dilly-dallied for hours, the complaint was lodged and over the weekend the prime suspect, Akshay Shinde, who had been appointed on contract from August 1 to clean the girls’ toilet, was arrested.

The police teams have started investigations, including questioning the management and teachers, besides the non-teaching staffers of the nursery school, a check on the CCTVs and other infrastructure at the school premises.