‘They’re acting like Delhi police’: 300 detained amid anti-CEC protests in Mumbai; Thackerays hit the streets

Upon hearing of this, his cousins Aaditya and Tejas Thackeray rushed to Shivaji Park and the trio subsequently led a sit-in outside Shiv Sena Bhavan.

In a reaction to police action against 300-odd protesters demanding the removal of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, the younger generation of the Thackeray family took to the streets on Sunday. While DCP Mahendra Pandit (central Zone 3) said that the process of registering FIRs was on, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) announced another round of agitation on Monday at 4pm.

Mumbai, India – 11 Oct 2026: MNS leader Amit Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray arrived at Dadar police station in support of CJP activists, to ensure protection of those detained in various police beat chowkis, including under the jurisdiction of Dadar police station, in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, 11 Oct 2026. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The Sunday gathering, called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) in Maharashtra, was a “farewell party” for Gyanesh Kumar. A poster announcing the event at the site depicted three young men cutting a cake alongside a caricature of a bespectacled, grey-haired man carrying boxes towards an exit. Labelled ‘Bias’, ‘Apathy’, ‘Broken Promises’, ‘Lost Trust’ and ‘Questionable Decisions’, the poster shrieked ‘Gyanu, it’s done bro!’ and declared ‘The exit is the occasion. The cake is the bonus!’

The satirical protest, however, could not gain momentum after the police refused to allow any demonstration, even as people gathered at the site. At least 300 people were detained on Sunday, including activists and even individuals who said they were not part of the demonstration.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Anjali Damania was among those detained. The police action raised the hackles of the Sena (UBT) and MNS. MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit arrived at the site, stopped a police van carrying protesters and ensured that they got down before he himself was informally detained by the police.

Thackeray cousins join protest against CEC, announce fresh stir on Monday

Upon hearing of this, his cousins Aaditya and Tejas Thackeray rushed to Shivaji Park and the trio subsequently led a sit-in outside Shiv Sena Bhavan, drawing around 1,000 workers from the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT). CJP workers also joined the demonstration, raising slogans of ‘Inquilab Zindabad’. The sudden gathering reportedly caught the police off guard.

Addressing the media after the protest, Aaditya announced that the agitation against Gyanesh Kumar would continue on Monday, asserting that the protesters were fighting against what he described as “dictatorship and attempts to suppress dissent”. “The action against protesters at August Kranti Maidan yesterday and Shivaji Park today was not expected of the Mumbai Police,” he said. “They have begun acting like the Delhi Police, perhaps at the behest of political leaders in Delhi. Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was detained yesterday and released hours later only after we protested.”

300 detained as CJP’s ‘farewell party’ for Gyanesh Kumar faces police crackdown

Aaditya maintained that the protest was not political and was intended to support citizens raising concerns about the electoral system. “This is a protest by Bharat against the BJP, which is suppressing the voice of the people,” he said. “It is a fight against traitor Gyanesh Kumar and will continue until he resigns.”

Aaditya also questioned the scale of the security deployed at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Sunday, including personnel from the Border Security Force, to prevent protesters from reaching the site. “The number of personnel was comparable to, or greater than, the forces involved in major military operations,” he said. “It has become BJP versus Bharat, and today the Supreme Court had to intervene. The government at the Centre will change. We are documenting videos of police excesses and will take action against the police when the government changes.” Aaditya warned that the peaceful protest could turn violent if the government continued to respond in this “heavy-handed manner”. Amit Thackeray and former MNS corporator Sandeep Deshpande also hit out at the detention of people, even senior citizens, who routinely came to Shivaji Park. “What kind of behaviour is this towards people who come here for a walk?” questioned Amit. “Have you turned Shivaji Park into a war zone? In what manner are we running the country?” Amit said he would visit Shivaji Park every day and challenged the police to detain him.

The police action also raised questions among those gathered about the right of ordinary citizens to protest in a public space. Kunal Kamerkar, the Thane coordinator of the Maharashtra CJP, alleged that people who were merely standing on the road and denied being part of the protest had also been detained. “I myself was taken to Tardeo police station,” he said. “The demands of all the protesters are straightforward: Gyanesh’s resignation, a halt to upcoming elections until the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is completed, and the withdrawal of rules framed in 2023 before a new Election Commission is constituted.”

Samiksh Shetty, a young lawyer who joined the gathering after watching a reel about the proposed protest, said he had come to exercise his constitutional right to protest. “I want clarity in understanding Gyanesh Kumar’s role in this controversy,” he said. “I have an issue with us being stopped from protesting. Political parties can protest at Shivaji Park but not civilians?” Akash B, an accounts manager, said the CEC’s rollback of some SIR clauses, particularly in relation to Form 6, needed greater scrutiny. “If he was not wrong, why did he roll them back?” he questioned. “Specifically where Form 6 is concerned—anyone who understands law knows that Form 6 is something that needs to be first passed in Parliament.”