The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of Maharashtra, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), had declared a 'Maharashtra Bandh' on Saturday, August 24, earlier this week, however, the parties on Friday called off the protest after NCP chief Sharad Pawar appealed for the withdrawal citing Bombay High Court which restrained political parties or even individuals from calling the stir.
The bandh was called in response to the alleged sexual abuse of two four-year-old nursery girls at a school in Badlapur area of Maharashtra's Thane, an incident which led to widespread outrage in the district, leading to thousands blocking streets and railway tracks. The girls were sesually abused allegedly by an attendant of the institute.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had emphasised that the bandh had no political motives and is solely a protest against the heinous crime.
Hours after the Bombay High Court restrain, Maharashtra Congress chief Patole on Friday said that they will "respect court's order and protest peacefully with black band on mouth". Uddhav Thackeray also later said they have called off the August 24 Maharashtra Bandh but opposition leaders will protest with black bands around their mouth. Uddhav Thackeray, however, added that they "don't agree with the High Court order on bandh".
What Bombay HC Said
In view of a Bombay High Court ruling, NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday appealed for the withdrawal of Saturday's Maharashtra bandh called by the opposition MVA.
Earlier in the day, the Bombay High Court restrained political parties or even individuals from calling for a Maharashtra bandh. A division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar said the Maharashtra government shall take all necessary steps to prevent a bandh.
"Until further orders all concerned (political parties and/or individual) are restrained from proceeding with the call for bandh on August 24 and also on any other further date," the Bombay High Court said on Friday.
In a post on microblogging platform X, Sharad Pawar said the bandh call was given in exercise of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution, but the judiciary also needs to be respected.
"Due to time constraint it is not possible to appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court order [on bandh]. The Indian judiciary is a constitutional body and in respect of the order given, the bandh call should be withdrawn," Pawar said after the HC ruling.
