MUMBAI: The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Wednesday called for a 'Maharashtra bandh' on August 24 to protest against the alleged sexual assault on two young girls at a school in Badlapur of Thane district.
MVA allies -Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) headed by Sharad Pawar- took the decision after a meeting here, said Vijay Wadettiwar, leader of opposition in the state assembly.
He said all MVA allies will participate in the bandh on August 24.
"We discussed the issue of women's security in the state and the failure of the BJP-led Mahayuti government on all fronts," he said.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad led a protest outside Mantralaya, the state secretariat, over the Badlapur incident.
Wadettiwar and a few congress leaders were also present during the protest.
Holding placards outside the gates of Mantralaya, Congress leaders and workers shouted slogans against the government for the delay in the registration of the FIR.
The protesters were stopped by the police from entering the premises.
Gaikwad and Wadettiwar slammed the state government for the rise in crimes against women in the state.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said all governments and parties need to brainstorm on what steps should be taken to provide a safe environment for women.
"After West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, the shameful crimes against daughters in Maharashtra also force us to think where are we heading as a society? After the crime against two innocents in Badlapur, the first step to give them justice was not taken until the public came out on the streets demanding justice," Gandhi said in a Hindi post on X.
"Will we now have to protest to even register an FIR? Why has it become so difficult for victims to even go to the police station?... Not filing an FIR not only discourages the victims but also encourages the criminals," the former Congress chief said.
"Justice is the right of every citizen and the citizen cannot be made dependent on the "will of the police and administration", he added.
Police on August 17 arrested an attendant at the school for sexually abusing two girl students of the kindergarten at a school in Badlapur.
As per the complaint, he abused the girls in the toilet of the school, an official said.
The opposition parties have alleged that the parents of the girls were made to wait for 11 hours at Badlapur police station before the officials took note of their complaints.
Thousands of protesters on Tuesday blocked railway tracks at Badlapur station and stormed the school building over the incident.
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