Raj Thackeray slams Modi, Shah over detention of Cockroach Janta Party leaders in Delhi

Protests are under way across the country demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. In Delhi, the AISF and then the INDIA bloc held strong demonstrations. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) was to hold its protest at Jantar Mantar on Saturday, October 10, but before that Delhi Police detained CJP's Abhijit Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das, along with other office-bearers. Reactions have begun coming in from across the country.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray has reacted strongly, targeting the Centre. In a social media post, he commented on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. "The Modi-Shah duo harbours dictatorship of the extreme kind in its heart and mind," Thackeray said.

He began the post with a sentence from Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: "No nation can be grateful at the cost of its liberty". He said Ambedkar had made the remark in November 1949 while presenting the draft Constitution. According to Thackeray, values such as the country's freedom and expression must not be staked to promote any leader's blind devotion or arbitrary conduct.

Thackeray said the sentence has to be repeated today. He alleged that, on the strength of this dictatorship, the duo brought all the country's institutions under control and won power, and that this power is being run in the interest of a handful of industrialists. He said that if protesters who oppose and demonstrate against this arrogance of power are crushed and arrested, this unbridled rule should be uprooted from top to bottom.

"Are there to be no protests in this country? Are you not to be asked questions? Who are you to take away the right to protest?" Thackeray asked. He said protests have been going on in Delhi since October 3 demanding Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. According to him, the government, with Delhi Police in tow, was not only crushing protesters but also harassing women journalists covering the protests.

He alleged that today, fearing protests in Delhi, metro services were shut, roads were blocked, the internet was suspended and bus services were stopped. According to Thackeray, protesters are being picked up and taken away by air. He said the country's youth, aged 20 to 30, are restless and cannot see their future, which is why they are taking to the streets peacefully. He asked with what face Modi would now go around the world and say that his country has democracy.

On the Election Commission, Thackeray said he does not understand why there is so much affection for Gyanesh Kumar. He said the Election Commission is an autonomous body and if its head has committed any wrongdoing, he should resign. He also said the entire election system should be honest and transparent, and asked what is wrong with that demand. Thackeray asked whether the two fear that if Gyanesh Kumar had to resign and named the masterminds of "vote chori", the entire secret of the power held so far would be exposed.

Citing Article 19(1)(a) and (b) of the Constitution, Thackeray said citizens have a full right to peaceful protest. He said the Supreme Court asked yesterday why a hammer was being used to kill a fly. According to him, police in Maharashtra usually detain protesters and release them, taking care not to hurt citizens' constitutional rights. Women journalists covering the protests in Delhi have complained that police harassed them in custody, and Thackeray asked what guarantee there is of proper treatment for protesters when those covering them are being harassed.

He said the country's youth made you bend and got Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, and that this anger does not appear to have subsided. According to Thackeray, during Anna Hazare's movement Modi and Shah allowed protests in Gujarat because they were beneficial to them, but while in power many protests against their government in the same Gujarat were crushed. He said this clearly shows they are pretenders with a double character.

Referring to the Netflix documentary "How to Become a Tyrant", Thackeray said Amit Shah is perhaps watching it seriously every day. He advised him to read a little about Mahatma Gandhi's peaceful protests and the freedom movement in Gujarat, the state he comes from. He said they should not expect to remain in power forever just because they are in power today, since no one is born with a lease on power. According to him, everyone who protests has the right to protest and it must remain unhindered.

Thackeray's post has sharpened the political dispute over the SIR process. Political allegations and counter-allegations are now likely to grow over the Delhi protests, the detention of CJP office-bearers and the role of the Election Commission.