Hundreds of people gathered at Shivaji Park in Mumbai’s Dadar area on Monday evening after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray called for a silent protest over the detention of demonstrators demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Thackeray had appealed to Mumbaikars to join the protest between 4 pm and 7 pm. The demonstration followed a day of political and public activity around the detention of people who had raised allegations of irregularities in the electoral process.
Mumbai Police registered a case on Monday against 25 people in connection with a demonstration held outside Shivaji Park Police Station, according to the report. The people named in the case include Aaditya Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Amit Thackeray, MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Varun Sardesai and Mahesh Sawant.
The case was registered over an alleged unlawful assembly. The provisions cited in the report include Section 189(2), along with Sections 371, 373 and 135. The report did not provide details of any arrests arising from the FIR or specify the next procedural steps in the case.
The latest protest was linked to demonstrations against Gyanesh Kumar and the demand for his resignation as Chief Election Commissioner. Protesters have alleged irregularities in the electoral process, although the supplied report does not detail the specific allegations or record a response from the Election Commission of India.
On Sunday, Aaditya Thackeray and Amit Thackeray had protested outside Shivaji Park Police Station, seeking the release of people detained during an earlier demonstration. The action brought leaders from the two parties together over the police response to the protesters.
Aaditya Thackeray alleged that people participating in demonstrations were being arrested and accused the BJP-led government of being afraid of citizens who take to the streets to protest. His remarks were made during the protest outside the police station and were reported by ANI.
The developments place Shivaji Park, a major public gathering space in central Mumbai, at the centre of a continuing dispute involving political mobilisation, police action and allegations concerning the electoral process. The police case and the public protest are now proceeding alongside each other, with the FIR identifying the alleged offences and the political leaders continuing to demand action over the detentions.
The immediate official milestone is the investigation into the case registered by Mumbai Police. The supplied report does not state whether the Election Commission, the state government or the police has announced any further public response to the protesters’ demand for the CEC’s resignation.
