Congress slams cops for swoop on tribals

Mumbai: Congress turned the alleged midnight swoop by Mumbai Police on its state party headquarters and detention of tribal student protesters into a political confrontation with the Mayayuti government accusing it of being ‘anti-tribnals’ and “suppressing” the voice of Adivasis, here on Monday.

The Mumbai Police, denied the charge that it entered the Congress office or arresting students staying there, saying they had only detained some protesters who reportedly attempted to march towards Lok Bhavan, the Governor’s official residence at Malabar Hill. They were apprehended from various locations and appropriate legal action was being initiated against them, said the police.

The conflicting claims came amid mounting angst over the detention of tribal students – who marched here from Nashik to Mumbai seeking justice after carrying out a month-long agitation over facilities in tribal schools, hostels plus sought an investigation into deaths at tribal ashram schools.

State Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal claimed that the police entered party headquarters at Tilak Bhavan at the dead of night and started rounding up the tribal students, including women. Among those caught were state NSUI president Sagar Salunke and city NSUI president Pradyum Yadav.

“These children have come here to protest… Are they criminals? Or is protesting a crime?” fumed Sapkal, adding that ‘enough is enough’.

Threatening to escalate the face-off, Sapkal warned that if the tribals and the Congress leaders and workers were not immediately released by the police, “we shall  gherao (lay siege) to the Chief Minister’s bungalow, ‘Varsha’.

It is a serious matter if the police, who are responsible for maintaining law and order, themselves violate the law,” he said.

The Congress would not allow any attempt to suppress the voice of tribal students, Sapkal said, asserting that the party stood firmly with them in support of their legitimate demands.

The incident echoed at the central party level with senior leader Jairam Ramesh flaying the development: “Shame on the so-called double engine government in Maharashtra which is clearly Adivasi-virodhi (anti-Tribals).”

Congress Legislative Party Leader Vijay Balasaheb Thorat questioned the rationale behind the alleged police action, asking: “Is it a crime now in the state for the poor tribal people to stage a protest for their legitimate rights?”

Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad, MP, said that the police action did not behove CM Devendra Fadnavis. “Tilak Bhavan is the Congress head office, and anyone can enter, but the police have blocked the office by erecting barricades. Is this jungle raj?” she demanded.

MLC Ashok A. alias Bhai Jagtap, who rushed to Tilak Bhavan to meet the students, alleged that some detainees were taken to Yellow Gate Police Station and others to Thane, including some female students among them. He further claimed some students were made to wait outside a police station for three hours and the NSUI president was allegedly “paraded” across the city.

Congress Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe also questioned the detention of women at night: “Women cannot be arrested at night. Who gave them this right?”

The tribal students had sought an appointment to meet the CM before starting their march to Mumbai and have submitted a 26-point demands charter to the government, including seeking the removal of Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike.