Mahatama Gandhi's Great Grandson Detained in Mumbai While Heading to Protest

Mahatma Gandhi’s great-grandson and his associates were stopped on their way to August Kranti Maidan for a planned demonstration backing the party’s demand for the Chief Election Commissioner’s resignation.

Mumbai Police detained Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and president of Hum Bharat Ke Log, along with his associates on Saturday as they headed to August Kranti Maidan for a protest in support of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) demonstration at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

According to a police official, Gandhi was taken to the DN Nagar police station. Gandhi, however, described the action as an arrest in a series of posts on X, documenting his movement between police locations. Police maintained that he had been detained and not arrested.

In his posts, Gandhi first said he had been picked up by Mumbai Police at the National College intersection and taken to the Santacruz police station. He later claimed he was being driven to an unknown location, writing, “Arrested being driven to unknown location. Mumbai Police Zindabad.”

In a subsequent post, he said he had been brought to DN Nagar, adding, “Lok Shahi Zindabad!” He also insisted that the planned demonstration would go ahead despite his detention.

“Even though I have been arrested, the August Kranti Maidan protest continues. Chalo August Kranti Maidan!” he wrote. In another update, Gandhi said he was being kept in custody at the DN Nagar police station.

Gandhi had appealed to Mumbaikars to join protest

On Friday, Gandhi shared a poster on X inviting residents of Mumbai to gather at August Kranti Maidan at 3.30 pm on Saturday. The protest was planned in solidarity with the CJP’s demonstration in Delhi, which is seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

August Kranti Maidan holds historical significance as the site from which the Quit India movement was launched in 1942.

Police say no permission was sought for demonstration

The Gamdevi Police said no application had been submitted seeking permission for the proposed protest and, consequently, no approval had been granted.

A senior police official said a Supreme Court ruling restricted the Mumbai Police from granting permission for demonstrations at August Kranti Maidan because the land falls under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The official added that the organisers had not approached the police for permission before announcing the gathering.