1,000-odd protestors served notices but protests continue

Mass detentions since Saturday and notices served via WhatsApp in the wee hours on Tuesday did not discourage the young demonstrators, who chanted, “Inquilab Zindabad”, “Dharmendra Pradhan Resign” and “We Want Justice”. Despite the rain, the crowd held their ground

MUMBAI: Despite 12 FIRs booking 1,000-odd protestors for supporting the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) agitation in Delhi on Monday, more than 500 youngsters including students continued the agitation in Mumbai outside Shivaji Park on Tuesday evening.

Residents of Shiddharth Colony, Chembur, held a protest on Tuesday to condemn the police lathi-charge on students during Monday’s protest near the Parliament in Delhi. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

Mass detentions since Saturday and notices served via WhatsApp in the wee hours on Tuesday did not discourage the young demonstrators, who chanted, “Inquilab Zindabad”, “Dharmendra Pradhan Resign” and “We Want Justice”. Despite the rain, the crowd held their ground.

The atmosphere was charged, with chants matching the beats of a dafli. “If we don’t stand up now, then when,” asked Yuvraj Shekhwat, 28, who called it a “decisive movement” for his generation.

Police have booked 1,000-odd protestors who turned out in large numbers on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, at Azad Maidan, Shivaji Park and Chaityabhoomi in Mumbai. The CJP is demanding reforms in the education system and the resignation of the Union education minister after the botched NEET medical entrance exam.

“There is a sense of injustice cutting across age groups,” said Atul Kumar, 22, at the Shivaji Park protest on Tuesday. Some had travelled from distant suburbs and parts of MMR. “I’m on a video call with my friends in Chicago so that they can be part of this too. We are participating in a historic movement. This is our contribution to our future and to our children’s future,” said Avni Shah, 26, a working professional.

Law students, first-time protesters and seasoned activists stood in solidarity with the CJP. Many said the issue had moved beyond a single resignation, or Abhijeet Dipke or Sonam Wangchuk, to one of accountability, education and governance. They said the movement was larger than any individual and demanded that responsibility be fixed “at the top”.

One batch of protesters was detained between 4.30pm and 5pm and taken to the Worli and Sion police stations. But after MNS leaders Amit Thackeray and Sharmila Thackeray, who live in the neighbourhood, intervened, police allowed demonstrators to hold a brief protest.

For nearly half an hour, hundreds marched in the lane outside Shivaji Park before dispersing peacefully. Yet, as the crowd thinned and umbrellas were folded, many left convinced the movement had crossed an important threshold—despite the detentions, FIRs and stern warnings, hundreds of young people committed to the cause had showed up on Tuesday.

Notices served by cops

Notices are routinely issued during protest demonstrations, after participants are detained and released, instructing them to present themselves for questioning as and when required. These notices are issued under section 35(3) of the BNSS for offences that attract less than seven years’ imprisonment and do not warrant an arrest.

During the current demonstrations, protestors were served these notices after being booked for unlawful assembly and disobeying an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant of the BNS and various sections of the Maharashtra Police Act.

Meanwhile, parts of South Mumbai turned into a virtual fortress on Tuesday, with heavy police deployment on the streets, especially at Dadar station, CSMT and Azad Maidan. Police marches were undertaken in some places, to discourage demonstrations.

The Mumbai police have renewed prohibitory orders, barring the assembly of five or more persons in public places from July 23 to August 6, due to apprehensions of “breach of peace and disturbance to public tranquillity”, a police officer said.

Lawyers step in to help

Hundreds of students who took part in the demonstrations were alarmed when they began receiving notices on WhatsApp from the police past midnight on Tuesday. The notices instructed them to appear at various police stations for questioning. A group of lawyers has since stepped up to help them navigate the law.

Srushti More, a lawyer, spent Monday evening at the Worli police station providing legal assistance to youth detained by the police. “Some of these notices are vague, while others were specifically told to present themselves at the police station on Tuesday. My colleagues and I are at various police stations trying to help,” said More.

Separately, lawyer and Shiv Sena (UBT) member Sagar Devare said, “These are young students, not terrorists.” Many detained were women and in some cases, minors who were detained in police stations past sunset. “There was no need to file FIRs as there was no violence committed,” he added.

Advocate Vikrant Khare was among the lawyers helping protestors booked for taking part in Monday’s demonstration. “We are not political. We are a group of ten lawyers, so we decided to extend legal help to those who need it,” said Khare.

Meanwhile, Yash, 26, a content producer, who went from Andheri to Dadar with a friend to observe the protest there on Monday, said, “Within five minutes of reaching there, I was detained by the police and taken away to Kalachowkie police station.”

He added, “I received the notice at 10:00am today, but it doesn’t say when I have to go to the police station. So, on the advice of many lawyers who are helping us, I have not responded to it yet.”