The Mumbai Youth Congress workers on Monday staged protests in south Mumbai on Monday demanding stringent action against the prime culprits behind the death of Beed’s Dr Sampada Munde, who committed suicide after alleged sexual assault and mental harassment.
A fortnight after the leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, spoke to the family members of the 28-year-old victim doctor, the Youth Congress workers took to the streets in the morning, resulting in huge traffic snarls at Marine Drive and Girgaum Chowpatty in south Mumbai.
They also attempted to march towards Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ official bungalow “Varsha” at Malabar Hill in south Mumbai but were stopped by the police.
The protestors raised slogans against the BJP-led MahaYuti government and rooted strict action against the prime culprits in connection with Dr. Sampada Munde’s suicide over alleged sexual harassment and suicide.
The protests were led by the Indian Youth Congress President Uday Bhanu Chib, Maharashtra Youth Congress chief Shivraj More, Mumbai Youth Congress President Zeenat Shabrin, Manish Sharma, Sachin Sawant, Rajesh Sharma, other office-bearers and heads of various district units.
It may be recalled that the body of Dr. Sampada Munde, who worked in a government hospital, was found in a hotel room at Phaltan in the Satara district of western Maharashtra on October 23, triggering a massive political controversy over the alleged role of BJP’s former MP Ranjitsinh Naik-Nimbalkar in the incident. However, the BJP has stoutly denied the Opposition allegations.
“Do not be afraid. We stand with you. The Congress party will bring pressure on the government to ensure justice,” Rahul Gandhi had assured the victim’s distraught parents, a farm-labourer Shrikishan and his wife Asha, besides other grieving relatives over the phone on October 29.
Monday’s protests came amid the growing outrage over Dr. Sampada Munde’s demise, the recent demonstrations by Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors, the Association of State Medical Interns, and the workers of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
For its part, the Maharashtra government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to go into the circumstances leading to the death of Dr Sampada Munde.
The Opposition parties have accused Fadnavis of allegedly shielding his colleague Naik-Nimbalkar and “giving him a clean chit even before the probe was completed”.
They have demanded Naik-Nimbalkar’s immediate arrest. Two suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the incident.
