Mumbai: The shocking incident of a young woman being raped inside a state transport bus at Pune’s Swargate station has once again raised serious concerns about women’s safety. The Home Minister is preoccupied with shielding corrupt officers while the security of women in the state remains compromised. The Pune rape case has laid bare the collapse of law and order in Maharashtra. The government, which calls women “beloved sisters,” is failing to protect them, said Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee President Harshavardhan Sapkal in a strong attack on the government.
Speaking to the media at Tilak Bhavan, Congress state president Harshavardhan Sapkal recalled that Maharashtra was shaken by a recent case of sexual assault on schoolgirls in Mumbai. However, the government tried to suppress the truth by eliminating the accused in an encounter, thereby protecting the real masterminds. The Chief Minister, who speaks on all matters, deliberately remains silent on critical issues. Maharashtra is once again reeling from the Pune rape case. Eleven years ago, a rape incident in Delhi led to widespread public outrage and mass protests. The Pune incident is equally serious, and the government’s apathy is making women feel unsafe, Sapkal said.
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Thursday 27 Feb. 2025
Commenting on the threats made against historian Indrajit Sawant, Harshavardhan Sapkal stated that the language and intent of the threats reveal the kind of individuals the government is promoting. On Shiv Jayanti, the Congress had demanded that the film Chhava, based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, be made tax-free, but the government has not yet taken a decision. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Golwalkar, in his book Bunch of Thoughts, wrote objectionable things about Sambhaji Maharaj, and even Savarkar made derogatory remarks about him. The Chief Minister’s silence on these issues raises questions—are they trying to downplay the film Chhava? And why is historian Indrajit Sawant being threatened with statements like, “This state belongs to us”? Is Maharashtra being ruled by Ghashiram Kotwal? Sapkal warned that if “Whatever Ghashiram Kotwal does is the law” is governing Maharashtra’s home department, it will not be tolerated. Action must be taken against the person who threatened Indrajit Sawant. How is this individual staying at a police guest house? Who provided him security? The entire state knows how this person’s wealth increased under certain chief ministers and home ministers. If Ghashiram Kotwal’s associates are issuing threats, it is a serious matter. The Chief Minister should take responsibility and resign. Maharashtra will not accept “Whatever we do is the law” or “Whatever Ghashiram Kotwal does is the law,” Sapkal asserted.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had referred to certain officers working as PAs, OSDs, and PSs to ministers as “fixers,” which has cast suspicion on all officials. Therefore, the Chief Minister must reveal the names of these 16 officers and the ministers they worked under, reiterated Congress state president Harshavardhan Sapkal.
The central government has relocated Mumbai’s Patent Office to Delhi. Since Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister, efforts have been made to reduce Mumbai and Maharashtra’s significance. Several key offices have been moved out of the state, many of them shifted to Gujarat. More than 18 offices, including the proposed Coastal Police Headquarters in Palghar and the International Financial Center planned in Mumbai, have been relocated. Now, the Patent Office is being shifted. The Modi government is looting Maharashtra, and those in power in the state are acting as agents of Modi and Shah, aiding this process, Sapkal alleged.
