Sena(UBT) demands Fadnavis apologise to Maharashtra's daughters over rising crimes
Synopsis
Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Saamana didn't mince words — it named Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the Home Portfolio, as directly responsible for a wave of child sexual assaults and murders across Maharashtra. From Nasrapur to Nagpur, the editorial argues that a government quick to apologise for traffic jams has gone silent on the safety of its daughters.
Key Takeaways
Shiv Sena (UBT) demanded CM Devendra Fadnavis apologise to the women and daughters of Maharashtra over rising crimes against minor girls.
The editorial highlighted the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Nasrapur, Bhor tehsil, Pune district as the flashpoint.
Similar incidents were reported in Chakan , Sangli , and Nagpur — Fadnavis's home turf.
Fadnavis holds the Home Portfolio and was criticised for apologising over traffic jams but staying silent on child safety failures.
The party's Ladki Bahin Yojana — offering ₹1,500/month to women — was questioned as a substitute for genuine security.
The editorial accused the ruling dispensation of campaigning in other states while Maharashtra's internal security deteriorates.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), through its party mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Monday, 4 May, demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis apologise to the women and daughters of Maharashtra amid a surge in sexual assault and murder cases involving minor girls across the state. The editorial drew a sharp parallel with the Centre's recent nationwide emergency siren test, arguing that a far more urgent alarm — one of law and order collapse — is being deliberately ignored by those in power.
The Trigger: Nasrapur Rape-Murder and Beyond
The editorial centred on the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Nasrapur, Bhor tehsil, Pune district, which sparked widespread public outrage. Grieving residents reportedly brought the child's body onto the streets, demanding that the accused be handed over for immediate justice. According to the Saamana editorial, the police responded by baton-charging the mourning crowd — an act the Thackeray camp described as compounding the tragedy. The piece noted that similar incidents have been reported in Chakan, Sangli, and Nagpur — the latter being the home constituency of Chief Minister Fadnavis himself.
Fadnavis Held Directly Responsible
The editorial held Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home Portfolio, directly responsible for what it described as the collapse of women's safety in the state. The Thackeray camp drew a pointed contrast: Fadnavis recently issued a public apology to commuters for traffic disruptions during the inauguration of the 'Missing Link' road project, yet has maintained silence on the systemic failure to protect minor girls.
Point of View
Not merely a partisan one. The BJP's contrasting postures on RG Kar versus Maharashtra expose a double standard that the opposition is right to highlight. The deeper structural failure — police baton-charging mourners instead of reassuring them — signals an administration more concerned with optics than with the communities it is meant to serve.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What prompted Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Saamana editorial on Maharashtra women's safety?
The editorial was triggered by the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in Nasrapur, Bhor tehsil, Pune district, and a broader pattern of similar crimes in Chakan, Sangli, and Nagpur. Shiv Sena (UBT) used the Saamana mouthpiece to demand accountability from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the Home Portfolio.
Why is CM Devendra Fadnavis being held responsible?
Fadnavis holds the Home Portfolio in Maharashtra, making him directly accountable for law and order. The Saamana editorial noted that while he apologised publicly for traffic jams during a road project inauguration, he has remained silent on the systemic failure to protect minor girls from sexual violence.
What is the Ladki Bahin Yojana and why is it being criticised here?
The Ladki Bahin Yojana is a Maharashtra government scheme that provides ₹1,500 per month to women. Shiv Sena (UBT) questioned whether this financial aid gives the government a licence to overlook the physical safety of those same women's daughters, framing it as an inadequate substitute for genuine security.
What happened when mourners protested in Nasrapur?
According to the Saamana editorial, grieving residents brought the four-year-old victim's body onto the streets demanding justice. The police reportedly responded by baton-charging the mourning crowd, an act the Thackeray camp described as adding to the community's trauma rather than providing solace.
How does Shiv Sena (UBT) compare BJP's response to RG Kar with Maharashtra crimes?
The editorial pointed out that the BJP mounted aggressive protests over the RG Kar Medical College rape-murder in West Bengal, but now asks that similar incidents in Maharashtra 'not be politicised.' Shiv Sena (UBT) called this a double standard and demanded consistency in the party's stated commitment to women's safety.
