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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

MVA protests for third day:

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies continued their agitation for the third day in different parts of Maharashtra with an aggressive state Congress hitting the streets today to protest the detention of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra and other Congress leaders yesterday, here on Wednesday. State and city Youth Congress again carried out vociferous protests near Mantralaya raising slogans, carrying banners and placards slamming the...

MVA protests for third day:

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies continued their agitation for the third day in different parts of Maharashtra with an aggressive state Congress hitting the streets today to protest the detention of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra and other Congress leaders yesterday, here on Wednesday. State and city Youth Congress again carried out vociferous protests near Mantralaya raising slogans, carrying banners and placards slamming the state and central Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and when some attempted to enter inside, they were prevented by a strong posse of Mumbai Police deployed there since Monday. As tensions appeared to escalate, the police clamped down by detaining top state and city Youth Congress leaders including President Harshwardhan Sapkal, Vijay Wadettiwar, Bhai Jagtap, Hussain Dalwai, and many others. Thousands of students carried out a fresh demonstration at Dadar west Shivaji Park to vent their ire at the police action on Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s agitation in New Delhi on Monday. Several MVA leaders and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray visited or expressed solidarity with the protesting youth, comprising many women. Opposition’s Voice The Congress leaders alleged that Rahul Gandhi was targeted by the BJP-led government to muzzle democratic dissent, suppress the Opposition voices inside and outside Parliament and trampling upon the peoples' Constitutional Rights to protest peacefully. Defying pouring rains in the city on Wednesday, Congress workers along with activists of MVA allies, staged a noisy demonstration in Chembur and another group attempted to storm the BJP office in south Mumbai, condemning the assault on students in New Delhi and the detention of the Gandhi siblings. Senior Congress leader Hussain Dalwai flayed the government for “misusing the police” to gag democratic rights and the protests were intended to defend the Constitution and democracy against the BJP’s policy of intolerance of dissent in any form. “This is gross injustice. We are not allowed to protest against the government failures as they are misusing the police. The PM is scared of taking the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as he could be the next. We want to highlight to the BJP to govern the country as per the Constitution,” Dalwai declared, interacting with the media at Nariman Point. As the BJP also threatened to launch counter-protests, the police cordoned off and deployed a precautionary security ring around Tilak Bhavan, the state Congress headquarters, as leaders from both sides exchanged political darts and looked aggressive enough for a confrontation. MVA ‘bandh’, ‘Tricolour’ march today The state is set for another two days of political turmoil as the MVA has announced a Maharashtra shutdown (‘bandh’) on Thursday followed by a non-partisan ‘Tricolour Peace March’ on Friday. MVA allies, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, besides other leaders of the alliance, informed of the state and city level actions today. Ambedkar appealed to the masses and also the BJP youth to participate wholeheartedly in the bandh tomorrow and claimed that students’ bodies, parent-teachers associations, colleges, universities, other institutes of higher education, private coaching institutions, and other governmental departments could support the shutdown, as it has now become a national issue. Aaditya sought the peoples’ participation in the ‘Tricolour Peace March’ on the theme of “One Nation, One Emotion” planned on July 24 afternoon to Shivaji Park, in support of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, the Cockroach Janta Party, plus the youth and students protesting in New Delhi. Terming it as a national citizens’ movement rather than a political party, he called upon the people not to carry any party flags but unite under the National Tricolour to assert democratic rights and express resentment against the government’s high-handed policies. Meanwhile, Mumbai Police have already imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 across the city from July 23-to- August 6, apprehending the possibility of law-and-order disturbances.

Washroom without privacy

Advocate’s outcry exposes crumbling infrastructure at police station

Thane: A shocking incident has raised serious questions about the basic safety and dignity of women visiting police stations in Thane. On June 4, Adv. Kanchan Ghanshani visited the Naupada Police Station along with her husband regarding an FIR inquiry, only to face a deeply disturbing experience inside the women’s washroom. The toilet, located inside the so-called "Women’s Safety Cell" of the police station, had no internal lock an appalling lapse in a facility meant to serve as a secure space for female visitors and staff.

 

Rather than fixing the lock, police had posted a humiliating notice outside the washroom, asking visitors to “confirm if someone is inside before pushing the door,” due to the non-functional latch. To make matters worse, a female police personnel not in uniform reportedly pushed open the door while Ghanshani was inside, without warning. She described the intrusion as not only indecent but also a violation of basic privacy and human dignity.

 

“What kind of administration has money for air-conditioned officer cabins, but not for a simple latch on a women’s bathroom door?” asked Ghanshani angrily, pointing to the misplaced priorities of the police department. The episode sparked outrage over how fundamental safety infrastructure for women is ignored even in critical government institutions like police stations.

 

Compounding the safety concerns, Ghanshani also pointed out that the electrical wiring for fans and lights in the station’s public waiting area is dangerously exposed a clear threat during the monsoon season. “It only takes one short circuit for a tragedy to happen,” she warned.

 

Adv. Ghanshani has demanded that senior police officials preferably female officers visit the police station and conduct an on-ground assessment of the facilities. Her immediate demands include:

 

When contacted, Senior Police Inspector Abhay Mahajan of Naupada Police Station stated that the bathroom in question did have a lock, but it required extra force to latch. “After we were made aware of the problem, we have ensured that the lock has now been fixed properly,” he added.

 

“This is not just about me,” Ghanshani emphasized, “It’s about every woman who visits a police station and expects basic respect and safety.” Her experience echoes the concerns of countless women who feel unsafe even in spaces meant to protect them. The incident is a stark reminder that ensuring safety goes beyond policing it starts with sensitivity, dignity, and infrastructure that upholds the rights of every citizen.

 

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