Despite a Bombay High Court injunction against the Opposition-sponsored Maharashtra bandh, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has initiated a series of symbolic, silent sit-in protests across Maharashtra to spotlight the increasing incidents of violence against women.
On Saturday, MVA supporters staged protests in cities, districts, towns, and villages throughout the state, carrying black flags and donning black bands across their mouths.
They used this visual demonstration to protest the suppression of dissent and express public outrage over recent sexual assaults involving women, girls, and toddlers in nursery schools.
Prominent figures in the protest included Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar and the party’s Working President Supriya Sule.
Both leaders, along with other party members, participated in a silent protest at the statue of Dr. BR Ambedkar in Pune.
Concurrently, numerous women’s groups organized similar symbolic protests in various locations within Pune district and other parts of the state.
In Mumbai, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and MLA Aditya Thackeray, along with top party leaders, held a silent demonstration near the Shiv Sena Bhavan, the party headquarters.
State Congress President Nana Patole led a similar protest in Thane, while other party leaders carried out protests in major cities including Mumbai, Pune, Kolhapur, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Akola.
On Friday, the trio of Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, and Nana Patole acknowledged the Bombay High Court’s order and rescinded their initial plan for a half-day strike scheduled for Saturday.
Instead, they redirected their efforts to peaceful sit-in protests, maintaining that the goal was to highlight the urgent need for improved law enforcement and stringent legal measures to protect women and girls.
Despite the protests, normal life in Maharashtra remained largely unaffected.
Protesters gathered at statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. BR Ambedkar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and other revered figures, holding posters and placards calling for enhanced safety measures and stricter implementation of laws.
In response, the MahaYuti Government reaffirmed its commitment to enforcing the Bombay High Court’s orders and indicated that any violations would be addressed firmly.
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