After the Bombay High Court took a stringent view of the Maharashtra Bandh call given by the Opposition parties, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance has decided to call off their strike call for August 24.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday voiced his disagreement with a Bombay High Court order that restrains political parties from calling a bandh. However, he confirmed that the opposition bloc MVA has withdrawn its planned shutdown in Maharashtra on Saturday, which was in response to a sexual abuse case in a school.
During a press conference, Thackeray announced that while the MVA has called off the August 24 bandh following the High Court’s order, leaders and workers from opposition parties will still protest against the Mahayuti government by wearing black bands over their mouths across the state. The former Chief Minister, whose party is a key member of the MVA, stated that he will also participate in the protest. “We don’t agree with the High Court order on bandh,” Thackeray maintained.
Earlier in the day, the Bombay HC restrained political parties or individuals from proceeding with a Maharashtra bandh over the sexual assault incident, on August 24 or any future date, saying such a protest will paralyse normal life.
A division bench consisting of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar emphasized that if political parties and individuals were not restrained from proceeding with the planned bandh on Saturday, it could lead to significant losses—not only in terms of the economy and business but also in essential services and basic amenities, including healthcare, which must be prevented.
The MVA alliance, which includes the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), had called for a statewide shutdown on August 24 to protest the alleged sexual assault of two kindergarten girls at a school in Badlapur, Thane district.