MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray reached Dadar on Sunday after Mumbai Police detained protesters who gathered near Shivaji Park in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).He accused the BJP of being afraid of peaceful protests and warned that the agitation would spread across Maharashtra.“The BJP is in such fear that even in Mumbai they’re detaining students who are protesting peacefully but fearlessly against a regime,” Thackeray said in a post on X.He alleged that Mumbai Police were acting on orders from the top and offered legal support to those detained.Thackeray also warned that the police would be responsible if Mumbai shut down and called all vibhag pramukhs to Shivaji Park. “This will not stop now. It will spread across Maharashtra,” he said.Activist Anjali Damania was among those detained after reaching Shivaji Park to support the CJP protest, police officials said.She told PTI that police personnel in plain clothes intercepted her and took her to an undisclosed location. Officials said most of those detained near the ground were taken to Shivaji Park police station, while others were shifted to nearby stations.Police said legal action would be taken against those assembling to protest without permission.The detentions came a day after around 600 people were picked up from various locations in Mumbai during demonstrations in solidarity with the CJP, including at August Kranti Maidan and Hutatma Chowk.On Saturday, Tushar Gandhi and actor Imran Khan were among those detained. Thackeray had visited a police station seeking Gandhi’s release.Police had said preventive action was taken because August Kranti Maidan was not a designated protest site under a Bombay high court order.The CJP has been protesting against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and demanding the resignation of chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
