Calling for Khan’s detention and deportation, the BJP leader also sought clarity on whether the actor could participate in such protests.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has urged the Mumbai Police to take action against actor Imran Khan for joining a protest in support of the Cockroach Janta Party, citing his alleged status as a “foreign citizen”.
Tushar Gandhi was detained while heading towards the site and was later released by the Mumbai Police. The actor took to Instagram and shared a selfie from inside the police van. However, CJP workers claimed they had emailed the Mumbai Police seeking permission but had received no response. The gathering was called by Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, in support of the CJP’s demand for the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar amid a row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Khan was detained by the Mumbai Police on October 10 from Mumbai’s August Kranti Maidan, which was the proposed protest venue in support of CJP’s protest call. More than 400 people were detained on Saturday for protesting at August Kranti Maidan in support of the CJP, according to the Mumbai Police.
In a post on X, Somaiya said he had written to Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner Manoj Kumar Sharma, asking whether Khan, a “foreign citizen”, could “break the law knowingly”. “Apparently I’m going for a drive,” he said in the caption. Mumbai Police said no permission had been sought for the protest in support of the CJP. They also said they could not grant permission, as the Bombay high court’s directions allow protests to be held only at Azad Maidan.
