MUMBAI: Police detained around 200 people, including members of activist Tushar Gandhi-led organisation and supporters of the CPI (M), for protesting at the August Kranti Maidan in Mumbai in solidarity with the Cockroach Janata Party's demonstration in New Delhi, officials said.
In a separate action, several workers of the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) were detained while demonstrating near Hutatma Chowk in south Mumbai to back the CJP, they said.
Hundreds of people, including those belonging to Tushar Gandhi-led 'Hum Bharat Ke Log' organisation, and activists of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) assembled at the August Kranti Maidan in south Mumbai without permission and around 200 of them were detained for protesting, an official said.
The process of registering an FIR against them was underway, he said.
One of the protesters, Rubaid Bhojani, alleged that the police took the protesters into custody "very brutally".
"We voted for the Prime Minister, but he betrayed us. We demand Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar's resignation," Bhojani said.
Earlier in the day, Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was picked up from Bandra and taken to D N Nagar police station. A large number of people gathered outside the police station. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray also visited the police station.
Gandhi, who heads the organisation 'Hum Bharat Ke Log', had shared a poster in a post on X, urging citizens to join a protest gathering at August Kranti Maidan at 3.30 pm.
Activist Feeroz Mithiborwala was also taken into custody from his residence and shifted to the MIDC police station.
Meanwhile, additional police personnel, including women officers, were deployed at the Shivaji Park in Dadar to prevent CJP members from staging a demonstration.
Security was also stepped up at other locations across Mumbai.
Authorities maintained that August Kranti Maidan is not designated as a protest site in accordance with a Bombay High Court order, prompting preventive action to maintain law and order.
The CJP has called a demonstration at Jantar Mantar against the CEC over allegations of voter-list manipulation during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and changes relating to Form 6, used for voter registration.