The brutal gangrape and murder of a minor girl in Ahmednagar district rocked both the houses of Maharashtra Legislature as its Monsoon session got underway today with the Congerss-NCP opposition targeting the Devendra Fadnavis Government on a host of other issues as well.
A 15-year-old girl was brutally raped last week allegedly by three men who inflicted injuries all over her body and broke her limbs before throttling her at Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district.
The incident has sparked outrage as well as political slugfest, with the Congress demanding Fadnavis' resignation on "moral grounds".
Making a statement after ruckus by the Opposition in the Assembly, the Chief Minister said the accused in the heinous crime have been arrested and the case will be heard in a fast-track court.
Noted lawyer Ujjawal Nikam has been appointed as the public prosecutor in the case and the government has given Rs five lakh solatium to the victim's family, Fadnavis said.
DNA samples of the victim and the accused have been sent for forensic tests, he said.
The issue also figured in the Legislative Council, where, backing an adjournment motion by Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde (NCP), senior Congress member Narayan Rane hit out at the government saying that state Home department is in shambles.
The Upper House agreed to a short-duration debate on the issue tomorrow after the matter led to a 10-minute adjournment of the proceedings.
Taking a dig at Fadnavis who performed puja at Lord Vitthal temple in Pandharpur on the occasion of Ashadi Ekadashi last week, Rane said, "It seems as though the chief minister has entrusted the task of maintaining law and order to the Lord almighty."
"Women are not feeling safe and the chief minister is only making statements," he said.
He said that giving solatium and the appointment of Nikam as public prosecutor in the case will not bring back the girl to her parents.
Moving the adjournment motion, Munde said the Kopardi incident is scarier than the Delhi gangrape case.
"The anger among the people is palpable. The government is not serious, Chief Minister and Guardian Minister have no time to visit Kopardi," he said, adding that the CM shows haste in defending his Guardian Minister.
"Girls are scared of going to school. Attempts are being made to suppress the case as the statements were recorded late," he alleged.
Council Chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar later ruled that the
House would take up debate on the issue for a short duration tomorrow after the question and answer session.
Raising the issue in the Lower House, NCP legislator Ajit Pawar said the Kopardi case was more heinous than the Nirbhaya gangrape in Delhi.
"I request CM Fadnavis to take action against the guilty, considering the victim as your and our daughter," the former deputy chief minister said.
Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan insisted that the House discuss the issue today itself.
Opposition leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who raised the issue through an adjournment notice, said the matter was serious and the House should discuss it.
Fadnavis said the matter could be discussed in a meeting of party group leaders in the House, before it is discussed in the Assembly.
The Assembly later adjourned after transacting other items on the agenda, which included paying condolences to former members of the House and introduction of new ministers.
The session commenced amid vociferous protests by opposition against the BJP-led government also on issues like corruption and agrarian crisis.
Slogan-shouting Congress-NCP legislators staged a protest on the steps of Vidhan Bhawan complex alleging that tainted ministers have been inducted in the cabinet by the CM during the recent ministry expansion and reshuffle.
