'Apologise to daughters of Maharashtra amid rising crimes': Shiv Sena(UBT) in 'Saamana'

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Monday said while the Central government recently tested emergency sirens on millions of mobile phones across the nation to alert citizens of potential disasters, a different kind of alarm is ringing in Maharashtra -- one that the government seems determined to ignore. As cases of brutal sexual assault and murder of minor girls rise, the "siren" of law and order remains silent.

The Thackeray camp in the party's mouthpiece, 'Saamana', mentioned the horrific rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Nasrapur, Bhor tehsil of Pune district, that sparked massive outrage.

Grieving citizens brought the child's body onto the streets, demanding that the accused be handed over to them for immediate justice. Instead of providing solace or swift assurance, the police responded by baton-charging the mourning crowd. This incident is not isolated. Similar atrocities have been reported in Chakan, Sangli, and even Nagpur -- the home turf of CM Fadnavis, said the editorial in Saamana.

The editorial highlighted what it said was a "stark contrast in the government’s priorities". "Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the Home Portfolio, is being held directly responsible for the collapse of women's safety. While he recently apologised to commuters for traffic jams during the inauguration of the 'Missing Link' road project, he has remained silent on the systemic failure to protect children," it said.

The Thackeray camp has accused the Chief Minister and Home Minister of spending the last month campaigning in West Bengal, Kerala, Assam, and Tamil Nadu, claiming Maharashtra is flourishing while the state's internal security crumbles. However, it claimed that while travelling to other states and making false claims about how well Maharashtra is doing, the reality in the state is the opposite: corruption is rampant, and atrocities against women are at their peak.

The editorial pointed out the BJP’s aggressive protests regarding the RG Kar Medical College incident in West Bengal, contrasting it with their demand to "not politicise" similar horrors occurring under their own watch in Maharashtra. "Despite promises of fast-track capital punishment, the public questions how many perpetrators have actually faced the gallows," said the editorial.