Badlapur sexual assault: No Maharashtra bandh today; Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule lead silent protest

The Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar, along with Maha Vikas Aghadi party leaders and workers donning black bands on their arms, staged a protest on Saturday in Pune against the Badlapur incident, where two minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted at a local school.

The NCP-SCP leaders protested amid rainfall against the Badlapur incident. During the protest, Sharad Pawar said, "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."

NCP (SCP) MP Supriya Sule also participated in the protest and said that they'll not stop protesting until the accused are arrested.

"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," Sule said.

Meanwhile, the special investigation team (SIT) for Badlapur sexual assault against minors has registered an FIR against the school authorities, for not complying with the provisions of section 19 of the POCSO Act which mandates that every authority when they come to know about any such kind of sexual assault against minors are obligated to report this to police authorities for further action.

The alleged sexual assault of two fourth-grade girls at a school in Maharashtra's Badlapur has sparked outrage. On August 17, police arrested an attendant of the school for allegedly abusing the girls.

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)