Mumbai Police detain 50 protesters at Dadar over support for 'Chalo Sansad' march

About 50 protesters who had come to Chaityabhoomi in Dadar West on Monday in a show of support for those participating in the lsquoChalo Sansadrsquo march called by the Cockroach Janata Party in New Delhi were detained by the Mumbai Police around 4 pm while about 500 police personnel blocked every route leading towards the Dadar beachThe protest was organised by the Mumbai unit of the All India Studentsrsquo Federation which has been seeking reform in the education system Advocate Samya Korde the organiser of the protest was placed under house arrest by the police at her residence in Sion Madhendra Pandit deputy commissioner of police Zone V told midday that protesters were being detained as they lacked permission to carry out the agitationShanti Kasi Vishwanathan Dadar West resident who witnessed protest at ChaityabhoomiThe police had been at the spot since 10 am and Dadar residents said they were being inconvenienced by their heavy presence as many locals were mistaken for protesters and were almost detained The exact number of detainees was yet to be revealed by the Mumbai Police on Monday eveninglsquoI am proud of the youthrsquoChaotic scenes involving police personnel and protesters which unfolded at the agitation held at Chaityabhoomi in Dadar West on Monday PICSHADAB KHANShanti Kasi Vishwanathan who lives about a kilometre away from the protest site said police personnel had told her to go away on seeing her shooting pictures and videos of protesters ldquoI was just curious and had no intention of joining the protest but the police personnel didnrsquot stop shooing me away even after I told them that I wasnrsquot doing anything wrongrdquoWhile many protesters were disheartened by the policersquos actions Vishwanathan said ldquoI understand that they are only doing their job They have orders from their seniors not to let the protesters gather but they are detaining kids which is saddeningrdquoVishwanathan added ldquoWe often hear the youth being called irresponsible and irritating but this is the first time the youth themselves have used the word lsquocockroachrsquo as a weapon and are refusing to back down I am proud of themrdquolsquoCause resonates deeply with mersquoEsha Shah who was calmly standing away from the crowd of fellow protesters to avoid being detained said ldquoI am not here in support of any party even CJP for that matter I am here only because the cause is something I resonate with I donrsquot know why the authorities have been detaining people and I hope this doesnrsquot affect the morale of those who are protesting for the right thing which is a better education system for allrdquolsquoCops were kindrsquoSpeaking via phone from the Worli police station Manjusha Pillai the sister of Shruti Menon who was detained from the protest site in Dadar along with nine other women and a 10yearold girl said ldquoThe police have behaved kindly with us but we still back the protest because it relates to the future of our childrenrdquolsquoIrsquom here for my fiveyearoldrsquoA protester requesting anonymity said ldquoI came here after informing my employers that I had to attend the protest I am here for my fiveyearold child I do not want her to suffer due to the incompetence of this education system which must change The authorities must heed our demands because all we want is a better India for our kidsrdquoMother and child detainedSandhya Panaskar who was questioned by the police said ldquoWhen I reached the site I saw that the police were detaining people I didnrsquot even head towards Chaityabhoomi I was just about to call my other activist friends when the questioning startedrdquoPanaskar who had visited the spot with her 11yearold boy said ldquoThe officers asked me why I was here and told me not to stand around When I told them I wouldnrsquot budge they told me to get into the van I didnrsquot want to do that since my child was with merdquoPanaskar alleged that police officers guided her into the van after placing their hands on her shoulder ldquoI didnrsquot want them to touch me but they did claiming that it was for my own protection I donrsquot want any protection from them or the authorities when they have failed to protect the future of our kids I have been going to protests for the past 20 years and have never seen the police detain a mother and her child My kid was terrified I complied so that my child did not get hurt in any wayrdquoPanaskar and Pillai were both detained at the Worli police station from 4 pm along with Panaskarrsquos son and Pillairsquos sister and niece Around 755 pm they were allowed to leavepopcorn number4 pm descTime cops started detaining protesters classDefaultpopcorn number10 am descTime since when police had been deployed to spot classDefault