New Delhi: Mumbai Police on Saturday detained Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson Tushar Gandhi while he was on his way to August Kranti Maidan.
Tushar Gandhi, president of ‘Hum Bharat Ke Log’, posted a message on X on Friday, sharing a poster calling upon Mumbaikars to join him for a protest at August Kranti Maidan at 3.30 p.m. on Saturday in support of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi.
Zonal DCP Ragasudha R said that the Gamdevi police station had not received any application regarding the proposed gathering and that no permission had been granted so far.
A police official said that permission had not been granted for the gathering.
“August Kranti Maidan is not a protest site, and no one can protest there due to a High Court order. No application regarding this matter has been received by the Gamdevi Police Station,” the official said.
Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was also present on stage during the October 2 protest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park.
Meanwhile, security arrangements have been tightened across Delhi ahead of the proposed protest by the CJP and the All India Students’ Association (AISA) at Jantar Mantar. The groups have called on their supporters to protest against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of manipulation of voter lists.
With memories of the July 20 unrest and police action during protests over the NEET paper leak still fresh, authorities have imposed extensive security restrictions. The earlier protests had preceded the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
More than 20,000 police personnel and members of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) have been deployed across the national Capital to maintain law and order.
Entry and exit gates at 45 Delhi Metro stations have remained closed since Friday night, while train services to two of Delhi’s major railway stations have been cancelled. With permission for the proposed protest yet to be granted, police have intensified surveillance across the city amid concerns over a possible large-scale mobilisation.
Earlier on Saturday, YouTuber Dhruv Rathee was detained by Delhi Police from his residence in Sector 56, Gurugram, ahead of the CJP’s proposed protest at Jantar Mantar.
CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and other party members, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, were also detained at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport upon their arrival ahead of the announced protest, police said on Saturday.
(IANS)
