Mumbai, Aug 21 (IANS): Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday alleged that there was pressure on the Badlapur police not to file the case in connection with the sexual abuse of two four-year-old girls at a reputed English medium school.
He also referred to Tuesday’s protest by parents and local citizens against the police and the administration of the school run by the Adarsh Vidya Prasarak Sanstha, and asked, “Is this a public cry that the Supreme Court is not seeing or hearing?”
He further asserted that the Badlapur case was a disgrace to Maharashtra.
“The mindset of the government is the mindset of the Prime Minister. Even though more than 200 women had filed sexual harassment complaints against Prajwal Revanna in Karnataka, the PM went to his campaign and praised him. Such leadership is acceptable to the Maharashtra government. What can we expect from such a government?
“The outcry of the people of Badlapur was against the “Mindhe” government (Shinde-led government). The complaint of the girls' parents was not taken for 12 hours. Pressure was put on the police. People took to the streets fearing that the accused would be saved,” said Raut.
Raut alleged that the Badlapur school where the sexual assault took place is connected to the BJP. He added that if the owner had been from another party including the Congress or Shiv Sena (UBT) the state’s Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the party’s women’s wing would have launched an agitation.
“Yogi Adityanath’s kingdom in Uttar Pradesh is called ‘bulldozer kingdom’. Why didn't the bulldozers go to Badlapur?
“Badlapur saw an outcry of the people on Tuesday. When there is such a public outcry, the court generally takes note of it. Then why did the Supreme Court not take notice of the incident at Badlapur?
“The Supreme Court took cognisance of the incident in Kolkata because Mamata Banerjee's government was there. The public cry of Badlapur was more severe than that of Kolkata,” he said.
“Devendra Fadnavis announced the SIT (Special Investigation Team). What is its need? The word SIT does not suit Fadnavis as he scrapped the SITs which were set up by the Uddhav Thackeray government,” said Raut.
Referring to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s announcement that the case be tried in the fast track court, he asked, “What is there in fast track? The case pertaining to the extra-constitutional government (Shinde-led Mahayuti government) should be tried in the fast track court but they are putting pressure on the Supreme Court and seeking postponements.”
He said that the Supreme Court should act and take cognisance of the Badlapur case similar to the Kolkata doctor’s rape and murder case.
He slammed the rural development minister Girish Mahajan for targeting the Opposition in connection with the Badlapur protest saying, “How is the Opposition connected with it? The outcry was against the state government.”
Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena (UBT) in its mouthpiece Saamna has criticised the Mahayuti government over the spate of incidents of molestation and crimes against women and girls in Maharashtra.
It has targeted the home ministry led by Devendra Fadnavis, accusing it of failure to curb such incidents.
“Although the state government has announced a slew of welfare and development schemes for women and girls including the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, they are not safe in the state. The government is busy holding rallies for taking the credit for the Ladki Bahin scheme but what about their security?” it asked.
“You have no right to beat the drum as the Badlapur abuse case and the police inaction have broken these drums. Neither can you protect sisters nor power. There is no law in the state,” it further read.