Mumbai, Aug 22 (Reporter) Shiv Sena (UBT) president and former Maharashtra chief minister, Uddhav Thackeray, on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the ruling MahaYuti CM Eknath Shinde over the Badlapur horror and demanded to make the safety and security of women as his government's top priority. Expressing grave concern over rise in incidents of atrocities against women in Maharashtra day by day, he said, “Keeping quiet will no longer help as the priority is to ensure the safety and security of our mothers, sisters and daughters.” Accusing CM Shinde of ‘deranged mentality and insensitivity’ to peoples’ emotions, the Sena president asserted that 'This is not politicking… The entire state is perturbed by the Badlapur rapes and those who term it as ‘politicising’ are of a deranged mentality. "This is the virus of a sick mentality and we must fight it. If the government is unable to protect the womenfolk, then we shall have to do it ourselves,” he said. Referring to Shinde as ‘an unconstitutional and inept CM’, the former CM said that using public money, he has introduced the ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme with the sole intention of capturing votes. “He (CM) thinks that if he gives the women some money (Rs 1,500) every month, the womenfolk will vote for the MahaYuti government… He should not be under such an impression, as the women first want security… When they feel safe, such schemes can be brought,” he said sharply. Referring to the police baton charge and bursting of teargas shells on protesters in Badlapur on Tuesday, the Sena (UBT) chief said it was “a display of peoples’ angst and how could the police target them like this”. “Don’t the people have a right to protest and register their anger? One of the Badlapur victim’s mother is pregnant, needed medicines, yet she was made to sit for some 12 hours in the police station and is now admitted to a hospital. Those who joined the protest are being prosecuted now,” he pointed out. To a query, Thackeray said that he has spoken with the victims’ families and would go to meet them in Badlapur later, as he did not want to trouble them, given their current mental trauma after the incident...////...