Pune: Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Ajit Pawar today attended a booth committee meeting in Baramati and interacted with the party workers. During the event, Mr. Ajit Pawar announced the launching of Shakti Abhiyan in Baramati to focus on empowering women, ensuring child safety, and awakening the youth. He informed that a Shakti Box will be installed in the area so that women can report any cases of abuse and a dedicated helpline number (Shakti number - 9209394917) will also be introduced. The NCP President further said that a Shakti Kaksha (special unit) will also be set up and posters with this helpline number will be displayed at key locations around Baramati. “Through Shakti Najar (Social Media Surveillance), we will monitor posts featuring weapons like pistols or swords”, he added. Mr. Ajit Pawar also highlighted that Shakti Bhet will involve meetings with women across different places to educate them on issues like good touch, bad touch, safety, and substance abuse. Talking about the seriousness of the issue he said “I’m sharing this with you because you are our karyakartas. If any of your family members are caught in wrongdoing, I will not show leniency, even if they are related to you.” Under the Shakti Vigil campaign, strict action will be taken against minors or individuals posting photos with weapons on social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram.

In a bid to unite and energise the cadre, the NCP President said “let’s set aside internal factions and differences within the party. We need to face these elections united.” Mr. Ajit Pawar who has represented the constituency for over 30 years said “we are striving to make the Baramati constituency a top-performing region in the state.”  

Earlier in the morning, Mr. Ajit Pawar also attended a meeting in Baramati with senior police officers to discuss women’s safety. Talking about the Shakti campaign, he said “Shakti Box" will be installed in schools, colleges, government offices, private companies, hospitals, coaching classes, women's hostels, and post offices allowing women and girls to submit complaints. "Immediate action will be taken on complaints of harassment or suspicious activities while maintaining the confidentiality of the complainants" he stated.