Mumbai protest: Aaditya Thackeray slams detention of students, offers legal support

Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday criticised the BJPled government over the detention of students protesting peacefully in Mumbai alleging that the ruling party was fearful of dissentIn a post on X Thackeray wrote ldquoThe bjp is in such fear that even in Mumbai theyrsquore detaining students who are protesting peacefully but fearlessly against a regimerdquoHe further alleged that Mumbai Police was being made to take orders from ldquothe very top mdash the very top that is hiding behind barricades of the police forcerdquoThe bjp is in such fear that even in Mumbai theyrsquore detaining students who are protesting peacefully but fearlessly against a regime The mumbai police it seems now is being made to take orders from the very top the very top that is hiding behind barricades of the police force Do let us know where all you are being taken We are coming Also we will stand by you legallymdash Aaditya Thackeray AUThackeray October 11 2026Addressing those detained Thackeray said ldquoDo let us know where all you are being taken We are coming Also we will stand by you legallyrdquoHis remarks hours after Mumbai Police filed a first information report FIR on 12 named people including Mahatma Gandhis greatgrandson Tushar Gandhi and actor Imran Khan and around 300 others during a solidarity gathering at August Kranti Maidan in support of the Cockroach Janta Partys protest in Delhi The protest in the national capital was demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner CEC Gyanesh Kumar Thackeray and other leaders had visited a police station following the detentionsShiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP over detentions linked to the Cockroach Janata Party CJP protests describing the agitation as a broader movement for democracy and accusing the government of suppressing dissent news agency ANI reportedAddressing a press conference Raut said the protests were not limited to the CJP but represented a movement led by students and young peopleThis issue is not limited to the CJP alone it is a revolution by students and the youth When students across the country take to the streets it is called a revolution Raut saidSanjay Raut compares govts response to protests with Hitlers final daysComparing the governments alleged response to protests with the actions of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler during his final days Raut claimed that opposition leaders and protesters were being targeted through detentionsHitler used this same kind of behaviour in Germany during his final days Suppressing the protest Arresting the opposition Keeping people locked up in the houseThe agitation has not stopped Former Chief Ministers and Members of Parliament are being detained A regime of detention and police rule prevails in the country One must admit that an Emergencylike situation exists in the nation he saidReferring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhis call for a protest in Delhi from Monday Raut said he would travel to the national capital to join the demonstrationsRahul Gandhi has called everyone to Delhi starting tomorrow and we too will remain in Delhi Whether we face arrest or police gunfire we will stand tall and fight for democracy he saidRaut accused the BJP of turning India into a Banana Republic and alleged that people dressed in saffron had been deployed to deal with protesters He also criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the handling of the demonstrationsMogambo Modi this time Mogambo wont be happy this time Mogambo will weep flee and go underground Raut saidAlleging a heavy security deployment around Shahs residence in Delhi Raut claimed that 15 lakh armed police personnel had been deployed in the area with forces summoned from Jammu and Kashmir Chhattisgarh and AssamShiv Sena UBT demands Fadnavis apology predicts Modi exit by MarchHe also alleged that dissent was emerging within the BJP and predicted divisions within the ruling party Raut claimed that Prime Minister PM Narendra Modi would not remain in power beyond MarchRaut further criticised the detention of Tushar Gandhi Mahatma Gandhis greatgrandson during the protests in Mumbai calling the incident shameful and demanding an apology from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra FadnavisTushar Gandhi cannot be kept in a lockup The claim that he was being taken for a medical checkup is false Raut said alleging that Gandhi had been taken away through a back exit and transported to Borivali instead of SantacruzRaut also accused the Centre of failing to address concerns over the detentions in Delhi and questioned the security arrangements around the residences of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit ShahWith ANI inputs