Two days after Akshay Shinde, the accused in the Badlapur sex assault case, was shot dead after allegedly snatching a police officer’s gun, hoardings with the slogan “Badla Pura” (Revenge Complete) featuring Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis holding a gun have surfaced across Mumbai.
These hoardings, which bear no organizational name, suggest political messaging from the ruling parties ahead of upcoming Maharashtra state elections.
The ruling coalition, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction, has used the incident to shift the political narrative after facing backlash over law and order concerns.
The BJP claims that during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi regime (Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress), the police were involved in extortion, whereas they now “protect the people.” Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena issued newspaper ads calling Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a “Dharamvir” while accusing the Opposition of politicizing the rape case.
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The death of Akshay Shinde has become a focal point in the lead-up to the polls. Shinde, who was accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls at a Badlapur school where he worked as a sweeper, was killed while being transported from Taloja Jail to Badlapur.
The police claim he snatched a gun and opened fire, injuring an officer before being shot in retaliatory fire. However, Shinde’s father, Anna Shinde, has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, alleging that his son was killed in a “fake encounter” and that there was a conspiracy involving the police and school management.
Opposition leaders, including Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP’s Supriya Sule, have expressed skepticism about the police’s version of events. They questioned how Shinde, who was reportedly handcuffed, could have managed to snatch a locked pistol. Raut further alleged that the encounter was staged to protect the real culprits, supposedly linked to the BJP.
In response, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Home Minister Fadnavis have defended the police’s actions, stressing that the firing was done in self-defense. Shiv Sena spokesperson Naresh Mhaske criticized the Opposition for questioning the bravery of police officers, accusing them of undermining law enforcement efforts.
The incident has now become a significant political flashpoint as Maharashtra prepares for crucial elections, with the ruling bloc hoping to use it to sway voters.
