Mahatma Gandhi’s great grandson Tushar Gandhi speaks to Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com on his detention this morning.
Gandhi tweeted this morning to say he has been detained by the Santa Cruz police and has been released after three hours.
Gandhi, who was on his way to the August Kranti Maidan, the historic place from where the Mahatma launched the Quit India Movement on August 8, 1942, told Rediff.com that he was detained on the order of Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar because he was considered a law and order threat.
Every year on August Kranti Diwas (Quit India Day) we march from the place from where the Mahatma started the movement.
They (Santa Cruz police) said that the march (procession) that we were doing to commemorate the Quit India Day was a threat to law and order; that I was a threat to law and order. So they detained me for three hours on the CP’s order, Gandhi said as he headed towards the August Kranti Maidan at Grant Road, south Mumbai.
I think there was a state government programme happening at August Kranti Maidan this morning. So they detained me. So that got over without any hindrance. Now they’ve released me, he said.
We’ve been doing this every year. Suddenly this year they considered our programme to be a law and order threat, he added.
The CP was unfortunately carrying out the orders from his bosses. Why would the CP suddenly, after so many years, consider our programme that happens every year to be a law and order problem? Gandhi said.
The media should ask him (Maha Home Minister and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis) that. How can I answer for his mindset? But what ideology he comes from is apparent.
