Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut addressed the media in Mumbai, launching a direct attack on administrative curbs against public demonstrations. He asserted that public discontent cannot be suppressed through coercive force, police batons, or weapons. Highlighting the resolve of young protesters, he maintained that citizens will not be cowed by authoritarian measures, regardless of how harsh the state response becomes.
Stance on Public Agitations and Political Shifts
Pointing to recent gatherings in Mumbai as well as at Jantar Mantar, Sanjay Raut noted that young demonstrators continued to mobilise despite widespread clampdowns. According to him, citizens willingly faced police resistance, courted arrest, and entered detention rather than abandoning their stand. He criticized past actions involving firearms and pellet guns, arguing that such tactics have consistently failed to halt determined citizens.
Sharpening his critique of the current leadership, Sanjay Raut stated, “Whether it is batons, bullets, or guns, you cannot stop us.” He insisted that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister would ultimately have to step down, predicting that significant transformations would unfold across the nation by January and February.
The Shivaji Park Demonstration Over Election Oversight
The political friction follows an agitation staged on October 2 at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, led by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke. Protesters had assembled to seek the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar. Central to the group's agenda were objections regarding the operational conduct of the Election Commission, specifically the transparency of voter list revisions.
The Mumbai Police had formally refused permission for the gathering at Shivaji Park, citing traffic management, general security, and the location's designation as a silence zone. Nevertheless, a substantial crowd of supporters converged at the venue to voice their demands. Sanjay Raut pointed to this heavy-handed containment of protesters as clear evidence of creeping authoritarianism.
Praise for Mid-Air Bravery Shown by Pilot
Shifting focus from political disputes, Sanjay Raut commended the courage displayed by Captain Smit Machhar. He observed that confronting a terrorist and making split-second operational calls nearly 35,000 feet above the ground represented an act of immense bravery. Emphasizing that such dedication transcends regional affiliations, he described the captain as an Indian whose actions serve as an enduring source of national pride.
