Lagatar24 Desk
Mumbai: The Mumbai Congress unit has voiced strong opposition to the appointment of senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor in the high-profile Badlapur school sexual abuse case, where two kindergarten students were allegedly assaulted. The Congress leaders argue that Nikam’s past political affiliation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could compromise the impartiality of the legal proceedings.
Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad criticized the decision, pointing out that Nikam had previously contested parliamentary elections on a BJP ticket. She also highlighted concerns about the management of the school, alleging ties to the BJP. “Given his previous association with the BJP and the school’s links to the party, how can we expect justice in this case?” Gaikwad questioned.
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, announced the appointment of Ujjwal Nikam as the special public prosecutor for the case. The deputy CM emphasized that the investigation into the incident would be conducted swiftly and that the case would be heard in a fast-track court. “The unfortunate incident in Badlapur will be thoroughly investigated, and justice will be served promptly,” Fadnavis stated.
Ujjwal Nikam, 71, is a renowned lawyer known for handling some of India’s most high-profile cases. He was the public prosecutor in the trial of Ajmal Kasab, the sole terrorist captured during the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which resulted in Kasab receiving the death penalty. Despite his credentials, the Congress party remains skeptical due to his previous political alignment.
Congress Protests Against State Government
In response to the alleged sexual assault of the two young girls at the Badlapur school, Congress workers, led by Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad, staged a protest outside the Mantralaya, the state secretariat. The demonstrators expressed their outrage over the handling of the case, particularly the delay in registering the First Information Report (FIR). Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, joined the protest along with other Congress leaders.
Holding placards and chanting slogans, the protestors criticized the state government for the perceived increase in crimes against women and children in Maharashtra. The police eventually intervened, preventing the protesters from entering the Mantralaya premises.
The incident has sparked widespread anger across the state. On August 17, a school attendant was arrested for sexually abusing the two kindergarten girls in the school’s restroom. However, opposition parties have claimed that the girls’ parents were forced to wait for 11 hours at the Badlapur police station before their complaints were addressed.
In response to the growing public outrage, including a mass protest at Badlapur station where thousands of demonstrators blocked railway tracks and stormed the school building, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance announced a state-wide bandh on August 24. The alliance, comprising Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (SP) led by Sharad Pawar, has vowed to unite in protest against the incident.
