Mumbai, October 2026 : The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Tuesday accused the Central and Maharashtra governments of creating an atmosphere of lawlessness and a civil war-like situation in the country, alleging police brutality against students, women, youth and political leaders participating in peaceful protests in Delhi and Mumbai.
In an editorial published in its party mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction strongly condemned the alleged police excesses and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for what it described as their “silence and apathy” towards the incidents.
The editorial claimed that Delhi was increasingly resembling a massive police station, where children and young women were allegedly being assaulted. It also alleged that police personnel in Delhi and Mumbai had used excessive force against peaceful satyagrahis despite Supreme Court directives against the use of batons on protesters in the absence of rioting.
According to the editorial, women protesters and journalists in Delhi faced alleged manhandling and harassment, including accusations of molestation by male police personnel. It further claimed that prominent political figures, including MP John Brittas, CPI General Secretary M.A. Baby and Kerala Opposition leader P. Vijayan, were dragged, beaten and forced into police vans while participating in a peaceful satyagraha.
The Uddhav Sena alleged that similar scenes unfolded in Mumbai, where students, including female college students staging a satyagraha near Shivaji Park, were allegedly dragged away and forced into police vehicles.
The editorial accused Shah of disregarding Supreme Court orders and using brute force against peaceful demonstrators. It claimed that such actions were intensifying public anger against the Prime Minister and raising serious questions about the government's approach to dissent.
Taking aim at Modi, the editorial questioned his visit to Chennai to review metro-related presentations and speak about development while, according to the party, remaining silent on the alleged police crackdown.
It also criticised Shah for remaining behind heavy security while protests and police action continued. The editorial contrasted his alleged silence with the BJP's celebration of its by-election victories in states such as West Bengal and Puducherry, claiming that the party was distributing sweets and publicising its celebrations on social media instead of addressing the concerns of protesters.
The Thackeray faction also launched a sharp attack on prominent personalities who have received honours such as the Bharat Ratna, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Jnanpith and Sahitya Akademi awards, as well as celebrities from the film and theatre industries. It accused many of them of remaining silent in the face of alleged police excesses.
Drawing comparisons with the conduct of intellectuals and artists under the regimes of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, the editorial cited writer Harishankar Parsai's criticism of intellectuals, describing them as “nominal tigers who merely play band in a jackal's wedding”.
It alleged that actors and public figures who deliver powerful dialogues on screen often remain silent when the country faces a crisis, portraying them as beneficiaries of the government rather than independent voices willing to question those in power.
In contrast, the editorial praised actor Prakash Raj, actor Naseeruddin Shah, MP Jaya Bachchan and former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar for speaking out against what the party described as police high-handedness. It said their willingness to raise concerns reflected the true spirit of nationalism.
The Uddhav Sena warned that those remaining silent during the alleged crackdown should not automatically be considered neutral if the political situation changes in the future. Doing so, it argued, would amount to betraying young people who were allegedly facing police oppression and resisting authoritarianism.
Concluding its attack, the editorial declared that intellectuals who silently witness such alleged atrocities were “enemies of society and of no use to the nation”.
The editorial's remarks form part of the opposition faction's broader criticism of the Centre and the Maharashtra government over the handling of protests. The allegations and characterisations were made by the party in its editorial.
