Pune: The Sharad Pawar-led faction of the NCP organized a protest on Saturday (August 24) morning in front of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial at the Pune Railway Station.

Despite heavy rainfall, the protest continued unabated, with prominent leaders like NCP MP Supriya Sule and Sharad Pawar addressing the gathering.

Sharad Pawar, undeterred by the rain, sat with the protesters and led them in taking an oath to never commit or allow atrocities against women. The protest saw a large turnout of leaders and activists from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Supriya Sule, during her speech in the rain, highlighted the rising lawlessness in the state. She criticized the government’s insensitivity, pointing out that incidents like the one in Badlapur are becoming increasingly common in Maharashtra.

She also condemned the government’s narrative that the Badlapur protesters were outsiders, emphasizing that they were Indians exercising their right to protest. Sule further criticized the deteriorating situation in Pune, citing issues like illegal blood transfusions, drug mafia activities, and the notorious 'Koyta gang.'

Sharad Pawar, addressing the gathering, termed the Badlapur incident as unfortunate and called on the government to take it seriously. He drew parallels with the harsh punishments meted out by Shivaji Maharaj and expressed disappointment that the government accused the opposition of politicizing the issue.

Pawar emphasized that speaking out for the victim is not wrong and called on the government to take serious action against such incidents. He concluded by leading the protesters in taking an oath to protect women from atrocities.