Mumbai, May 5 (IANS) Amid outrage over the horrific rape and murder of a four-year-old girl in the Nasrapur area of Bhor tehsil in Pune district, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief, Raj Thackeray, on Tuesday issued a scathing indictment of the state’s current socio-political climate. Shaken by the brutality of the crime, he didn’t just demand swift punishment for the accused, he called for a complete “overhaul” of Maharashtra’s lost value system.

In an emotionally-charged statement on X, Raj Thackeray expressed a “terrifying rage,” questioning the very foundation of a state that once led the nation in women’s empowerment.

He pulled no punches regarding the state’s handling of crimes against women and criticised the government’s definition of “fast-track” action, suggesting it often rings hollow.

Raj Thackeray argued that the accused, whom he described as a “beast,” should be finished off without a second thought for legal technicalities. He questioned why the police showed “swiftness” in lathi-charging grieving protesters in Nasrapur but failed to instil that same fear in criminals who assault girls and women.

The MNS chief noted that cases of abduction and assault on women in Maharashtra are skyrocketing annually, signalling that criminals no longer fear the administration.

Connecting the tragedy to a broader societal decay, he observed that Maharashtra has gone “off track.” He attributed this to a rampant, top-to-bottom obsession with seizing and flaunting power. Raj Thackeray claimed that everyone — from politicians and industrialists to writers at literary conferences — is caught in a mad scramble for dominance.

According to him, this “glorification of power” reflects downward. He warned that even the weakest in society, caught in this current, end up exploiting those even more vulnerable than themselves.

He reminisced about “the old days” when social elders and journalists kept a check on behaviour. Today, the fear of social shame or family disgrace has completely evaporated.

Providing a deep-rooted analysis, Raj Thackeray pointed to 1995 as a turning point for the state. He argued that while the doors to the world opened in 1992, Maharashtra failed to truly understand the “winds of liberalisation.”

He stated, “Liberalisation brought massive gains, but in a place where we didn’t even grasp democracy, how were we supposed to grasp liberalisation? It demolished the old value system and replaced it with a self-centered, greed-driven vacuum.”

Raj Thackeray identified a toxic cocktail fueling these recurring incidents including uncontrolled lust and the itch to flaunt power, OTT content and constant mobile addiction and greed for money and land.

He concluded by stating that he and his party are committed to implementing fundamental changes to ensure such tragedies never occur again. He called on the government to immediately realign the state’s wayward “aim” and “goal” before the fabric of Maharashtra is permanently unraveled.

–IANS

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