Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Congress, and Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday held protests across the state over the Badlapur sexual abuse case.

The MVA, which had initially called for a Maharashtra bandh, faced a setback when the Bombay High Court stayed the strike. However, the coalition leaders organized a sit-in protest in Pune, with NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar and MP Supriya Sule leading the charge.

During the protest, Sharad Pawar expressed grave concerns over the rising incidents of violence against women in the state.

“There is not a day in Maharashtra when there is no news of atrocities against women … The government should take this incident seriously. The government is saying that the opposition is doing politics, calling it politics shows how insensitive the government is,” Pawar remarked, condemning the government’s response to the crisis.

Supriya Sule, also present at the protest, voiced her dissatisfaction with the authorities’ inaction. “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 stated.

Meanwhile, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the Badlapur case has registered an FIR against the school authorities involved.

The FIR cited non-compliance with Section 19 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which mandates that any authority aware of sexual assault against minors must report the incident to the police.

Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi also criticized the government’s actions.

Referring to the High Court’s decision to stay the bandh, she said, “Mumbai HC may have stayed the peaceful bandh due to the intervention of state HM Fadnavis’ pet advocate rushing to the court, however they can’t keep us from protesting and voicing the growing incidents of crime against women and children and demanding action from Khoke Sarkar.”