Following the encounter killing of Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sexual assault case, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a sharp attack on the opposition INDIA bloc. The BJP referred to the opposition alliance as the “Balatkari bachao alliance” (Save rapist alliance) in response to their calls for an investigation into the encounter.
Akshay Shinde was shot dead by police on Monday night after allegedly grabbing a policeman’s gun and firing at the officers. The incident has sparked calls for a probe from opposition leaders, questioning the circumstances of the encounter.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla defended the police action, stating, “Badlapur sexual assault accused Akshay Shinde died after being shot at by police in retaliatory firing. On one hand, Maharashtra and Badlapur have taken a sigh of relief whereas on the other hand, parties of the INDI alliance are mourning the death of a rapist. Is this a ‘balatkari bachao alliance’?”
Poonawalla also criticized the opposition for allegedly defending criminals in past cases, particularly targeting the Mamata Banerjee-led government for their stance on the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital rape-murder case. He accused opposition leaders of speaking in favor of rapists and described their behavior as “shameful.”
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari added to the criticism, stating that opposition leaders, including those from the Congress and INDI alliance, consistently support the accused in rape cases. He referenced the Ayodhya gangrape case, where he claimed Akhilesh Yadav defended the accused Moeed Khan, and also mentioned Rahul Gandhi’s comments about the RG Kar Medical College case as a “distraction.”
Bhandari further remarked, “Today, when action is taken as per law in the Badlapur incident, the leaders of Congress call it a cold-blooded murder. They never stand with women but with their vote bank.”
Shinde, 24, was accused of sexually assaulting two young girls at a school in Badlapur, Thane. He was shot near the Mumbra Bypass while being transported by police. Authorities allege that Shinde managed to snatch a policeman’s gun, leading to the encounter.
However, Shinde’s family disputes the police’s account, with his mother insisting that her son was too fearful to even handle firecrackers, casting doubt on the police’s version of events.
Opposition leaders have raised questions about the encounter. Vijay Wadettiwar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly, expressed suspicion about the circumstances surrounding Shinde’s death. “Is it an attempt to destroy evidence? Were Akshay Shinde’s hands not tied by the police during the transit? How could he reach for the gun, and how come the police were so careless? We demand a judicial probe in this matter,” he stated.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole echoed similar concerns, demanding a judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also commented on the incident in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “The Badlapur case accused deserves to be hanged until death but what happened today evening is reckless and suspicious.” He questioned the handling of the case, suggesting that there may be more at play, such as individuals within the school management board who have yet to be apprehended.
Thackeray concluded by calling for a neutral inquiry to determine whether there was any connection between the encounter and those still on the run from the school’s management.
