States » WestPosted at: Oct 5 2026 7:31PM


Police release tribal students after Congress threatens to besiege Maharashtra CM's bungalow

Mumbai, Oct 5 (UNI) Mumbai police released the tribal students and Congress-affiliated National Students union of India (NSUI) leaders on Monday afternoon after Maharashtra State Congress Committee President Harshawardhan Sapkal warned that the Congress will besiege (gherao) 'Varsha' bungalow, which is the official residence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, if the tribal students and NSUI leaders picked up by the police are not released immediately.
Hence, the planned gherao 'Varsha' bungalow protest has been called off after the tribal students and the NSUI leaders were set free by the Mumbai police at 3 pm, a Congress spokesperson confirmed.
According to NSUI Maharashtra state president Sagar Salunkhe, Police Commissioner Deven Bharti bluntly stated that the tribal students from rural Maharashtra, who were picked up from the Tilak Bhawan office of the Congress at Dadar West after a surprise 4 am early morning raid on Monday, will not be given permission to protest anywhere in Mumbai.
"Fadnavis seems to be afraid of 15-year-old tribal kids for some reason. We never expected such a drastic measure by the police. Police Commissioner Deven Bharti bluntly told us that the tribal students will not be allowed to protest anywhere in Mumbai under any circumstances," NSUI Maharashtra state president Sagar Salunkhe said.
When asked about what would be the next step likely to be taken by the tribal students who had planned to protest against pathetic school facilities, Salunkhe said, "The tribal students have just been released, and they are still thinking about their next step. We intend to discuss the matter thoroughly with the tribal students before taking any step".
The early morning police raid at the Tilak Bhawan, Dadar West office of the Congress, came as a total surprise not only to senior Congress leaders but also to leaders of other political parties because those reaching Mumbai to protest generally stay at offices of political parties, and that has been the tradition even before independence.
The leader of another political party said that he cannot recall any time when a similar incident happened in Mumbai earlier, and this could be the first incident of its kind.
According to sources, the early morning police raid was probably motivated by a fear that more student protests would destabilise the already volatile political situation, especially since the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP and the Thackeray brothers held protests which were well attended by youth. Besides, a hunger strike by the parents of the late IIT Bombay student Sahil Waskode is still on at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai, which is being backed by Ambedkarite and leftist parties.
"The government would not want to deal with another protest and wants the political situation to cool down. So, today's early morning police action seems to be a sign of panic and overreaction," the political leader said.
Earlier on Monday, Maharashtra State Congress Committee President Harshawardhan Sapkal strongly condemned the police action against the tribal students, which functions directly under Fadnavis, who holds the home minister portfolio, and said, "Sending police into the Congress office, forcibly taking away tribal students, NSUI state president Sagar Salunkhe as well as Mumbai NSUI president Pradyum Yadav and then keeping them in police custody is completely illegal and a blatant misuse of law".
"Are these tribal students who have come to Mumbai to protest criminals of any sort? Is protesting a crime? Devendra Fadnavis, please remember that there is a limit to everything. You sent the police to our Congress office in the middle of the night, and the police entered our office illegally. Now we will march towards 'Varsha' bungalow. We will never tolerate this attempt to suppress the voice of tribal students. The Congress party stands firmly with the tribal students in their fight for their legitimate rights," Sapkal told reporters here on Monday.
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