Mumbai, October 12, 2026: Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) staged a silent protest at Shivaji Park on Monday, demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged voter list manipulation and opposing the detention of Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) protesters by Mumbai Police over the past two days. Although CJP did not participate, several citizens and NCP (Sharad Pawar) leader Fahad Ahmad joined the protest to express solidarity with the demands.
Around 600 party workers gathered at Shivaji Park for the protest. Several protesters dressed in black and wore masks, with black ribbons tied around their hands and mouths. They carried the Tricolour and displayed banners highlighting their demands.
A parallel signature campaign was organised, allowing citizens to sign registers in support of the demand for the CEC's resignation. Although the protest was meant to be silent, a few protesters raised slogans against the BJP government and Gyanesh Kumar.
Thackeray Family Joins Protest
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, Tejas Thackeray, MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Amit Thackeray arrived at Shivaji Park around 5.30 pm. All of them signed the registers as part of the signature campaign.
Speaking to the media, Aaditya Thackeray said, “Over the past two days, we have seen a different face of Mumbai Police. I think they received orders from Delhi. We are fighting for our rights. The government is defending Gyanesh Kumar because the BJP came to power through vote chori. These protests will continue until Gyanesh Kumar resigns.”
No Detentions On Monday
No protesters were detained at Shivaji Park on Monday. Compared with Sunday, the number of police personnel deployed at the venue was also lower.
Meanwhile, Shivaji Park Police registered an FIR against 25 protesters on Sunday in connection with the CJP's demonstration.
Citizens Question Police Action
Priyanka, a lawyer from Dadar, said, “Why is the government opposing the staging of protests? Staging a protest is not illegal. The government is taking the wrong steps and curbing citizens’ freedom.”
Dr Sheefa, a resident of Andheri, said, “The government's illegal detention of protesters has created anger among people. The government is trying to suppress the voice of the people. The Election Commission is supposed to be independent.”
Shubham Patil, a public relations professional from Diva, said his mother and aunt's names appeared on the 2002 SIR list, but were missing from the current electoral rolls. “I spoke to the booth-level officer, who told me that their documents had been submitted but that he did not know why their names had been deleted. He advised me to fill out the form again. I tried submitting it online, but the form would not go through,” he said.
Sangita, a senior citizen from Dadar, said, “The Constitution gives us the right to protest. Like in Delhi, the government now wants to create fear among people in Mumbai as well. However, citizens are no longer afraid. The government is imposing a dictatorship.”
Tushar Gandhi Announces Sit-In
Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandson Tushar Gandhi on Monday announced that he would stage a sit-in protest against the government near Mantralaya in the first week of November.
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Protesters Voice Their Concerns
“The government and the police do not seem to fear even the Supreme Court. Why is the BJP defending Gyanesh Kumar? Mumbai Police are taking action because they have received instructions from Delhi. In Mumbai, the police even detained ordinary citizens who had not come to Shivaji Park to participate in the protest.” - Ekadashi, A linguistic professional
“The government is treating people cruelly. This is not democracy. Mumbai Police have started behaving like Delhi Police. People have the right to raise their voices in a democratic country.” - Bhushan Shinde, Entertainment industry employee
“The BJP is doing wrong. People are angry and dissatisfied with the BJP’s rule. The party also came to power through the wrong means. However, one day, it will definitely be thrown out of power.” - Susmita Bhadanse,
Shiv Sena (UBT) worker
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