Ahead of PM’s visit, NCP (SP) MLA bats for implementation of Maharashtra’s Shakti Act 

Pune, Aug 24 (IANS) Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Maharashtra on Sunday, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit R. Pawar on Saturday urged the PM to ensure the implementation of the state’s Shakti Criminal Law, and change of guard in the state Home Ministry in view of the poor law and order situation.

Rohit R. Pawar, grandnephew of NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar , has shot off a 3-pager to the PM, highlighting how the state which has given the country women icons like Rajmata Jijabai, Queen Ahilyadevi Holkar, Savitribai Phule and Ramabai Ambedkar, is now gripped by concerns of safety and security of its mothers, sisters and daughters.

He referred to the Badlapur horror a couple of days before Independence Day in Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s home district Thane, where two four-year-old girls were allegedly sexually molested by a sweeper in their school.

“Owing to political pressure, the complaint was not registered promptly. The victims’ parents were forced to sit in the police station for 15 hours, and it was only after the people of Badlapur erupted in protests that the state government woke up,” claimed Pawar.

He pointed out that in the past 10 days alone there have been at least a dozen such incidents reported from around the state, citing the examples of Thane and Raigad, and now many more such instances are coming up from every corner of Maharashtra.

However, after each such crime comes to light, the state government merely gives assurances about putting the case in a fast track court, hanging the guilty, etc. but nothing happens after that.

“As no strict action is taken against the culprits, they have no fear of the law. The state government is shielding criminals. The police department is only working under political pressure. All this has raised serious questions about the work of the state home department,” Pawar said, without naming Deputy CM and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Recalling that the Mava Vikas Aghadi (MVA) had enacted the Shakti Law (December, 2021) providing for the death sentence in rape cases, he rued that it has not been cleared by the Centre on technical grounds and other reasons.

Considering the stringent provisions in the Shakti Act, it could have served as a blueprint for the entire country to deal with cases of atrocities against women, but that has not happened, the lawmaker averred.

Pawar said though the PM speaks about women’s empowerment all over the world, in Maharashtra, his own Bharatiya Janata Party government has remained insensitive towards this issue. It was upto the PM to guide the MahaYuti leaders on these things.

Without taking names, he said the home department has failed on all counts, whether women’s security or rising crimes and hence must be handed over to a strong person.

Pawar's letter came even as his uncle, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, called for 'bobbitting' of rapists in the state during a 'Ladki Bahin' programme in Yavatmal on Saturday.