Shiv Sena (UBT) condemns Centre's crackdown on anti-government protests in Saamana editorial

The Shiv Sena UBT on Monday accused the Central government of using what it described as ldquocowardlyrdquo dictatorial tactics to suppress antigovernment demonstrations across the country criticising the detention of protesters and opposition leaders in Delhi and MumbaiIn an editorial published in the partys mouthpiece Saamana the Thackerayled faction criticised the security measures imposed on October 10 during which thousands of protesters student activists and opposition figures were reportedly detainedSaamana alleges unprecedented security clampdown in DelhiThe editorial claimed that the Centre deployed armed security personnel including forces drawn from antiterror and antiNaxalite operations in regions such as Chhattisgarh Jharkhand Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur to enforce a security blockade across DelhiIt alleged that access routes and lanes across the national capital were sealed and that nearly 1 lakh armed personnel surrounded the residence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Krishna Menon RoadAccording to the editorial the security arrangements disrupted public services including internet connectivity metro operations local bus networks longdistance train services and commercial flights It also claimed that police boarded an aircraft to detain political leaders including Dipankar Bhattacharya and Manoj JhaOpposition leaders detained during protestsDespite the restrictions large numbers of students and civil society members reached protest venues in Delhi the editorial said It also stated that former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal were among the opposition leaders detained during the crackdownIn Mumbai police detained Tushar Gandhi the greatgrandson of Mahatma Gandhi as he attempted to lead a peaceful satyagraha towards August Kranti Maidan according to the editorialThe publication said Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray and party workers subsequently marched to the DN Nagar police station to demand Gandhis immediate releaseEditorial cites international concerns over detentionsThe Saamana editorial also referred to alleged international scrutiny of Indias handling of the protests It claimed that the United Nations Human Rights Office had expressed concern over arbitrary detentions police conduct and reports of female demonstrators being dragged into prison vans and taken to undisclosed locationsThe editorial said the UN had urged Indian authorities to protect the right to peaceful assembly and release those detained arbitrarily It also cited coverage by The New York Times and Londonbased newspapers arguing that the crackdown had drawn international attention to Indias democratic institutionsThese assertions were presented by the editorial the specific UN statements and media reports would require independent verificationShiv Sena UBT rejects BJPs flop show claimResponding to BJP leaders and media outlets that reportedly described the demonstrations as a ldquoflop showrdquo the Thackerayled faction argued that the scale of the security deployment reflected the governments apprehension about public dissentThe editorial further alleged a decadelong pattern of public harassment misuse of public funds and electoral manipulation linking these accusations to what it described as mounting public anger over governanceldquoWhen a dictator is afraid the demon within him builds armed steel walls for selfprotection but these walls are inevitably destroyed by the rebellion of the peoplerdquo the editorial declared