Protesters Demand Presidential Assent for Maharashtra's Shakti Bill

Nationalist Congress Party workers, led by MP Supriya Sule, protested in Mumbai over delays in the Shakti bill's assent. The bill, cleared in December 2021, seeks to impose stricter penalties for crimes against women. The protest coincided with President Droupadi Murmu's visit to Mumbai.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) workers, led by party MP Supriya Sule, staged a protest near the state secretariat in Mumbai on Tuesday over the 'inordinate delay' in assent for the Shakti bill addressing crimes against women.

The protest took place on the same day that President Droupadi Murmu was in Mumbai to participate in the centenary celebrations of the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

The Maharashtra Assembly had unanimously cleared the Shakti bill in December 2021. The bill introduces the death penalty for rape and increases the minimum punishment for acid attacks and sexual assault on children. It also mandates that investigations be completed within 30 days of a complaint being registered.

The delay in granting assent to the bill has sparked widespread concern among Maharashtra citizens, particularly in light of rising violence against women and children, according to Sule.

Party workers, holding banners that read 'We want guarantees for women's safety, we want the Shakti bill,' protested near Mahatma Gandhi's statue outside the secretariat. Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, who participated in the protest, highlighted that the bill, which he helped pass, is pending approval from the Centre.

The protest has gained momentum following the recent sexual abuse of two minor girls in a Badlapur school, causing massive outrage and protests. Shiv Sena MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has also written to President Murmu seeking a speedy assent to the bill.

(With inputs from agencies.)