Congress MP Detained Ahead of PM Modi’s Mumbai Visit

Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad and several of her party members were detained by police ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Mumbai. Gaikwad criticized the police action, claiming it was in response to their planned protest against Modi. Increased police presence was noted outside various Congress leaders' residences.

Congress MP Varsha Gaikwad claimed on Friday that police had detained her and many of her party workers ahead of their planned protest during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Mumbai.

According to Modi's office, he is scheduled to speak at the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024 in Mumbai and lay the foundation stone of Vadhvan Port project worth approximately Rs 76,000 crore in Palghar on Friday.

"The police are there at my residence since 7 am. They are not even allowing me to walk two steps. What can I say if asking the PM to apologize or staging a silent protest is a crime. If questions cannot be asked to the country's prime minister, then whom should we pose our questions to," Gaikwad said.

The Mumbai Congress had planned a protest during the PM's visit to Mumbai.

"We have been detained for raising our voice for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, for Maharashtra's pride. But we will not be deterred. The Prime Minister must apologize for the insult to our icon," Gaikwad, who is also the Mumbai Congress chief, wrote on X.

The Congress has said that the PM, who had unveiled the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that collapsed at Rajkot fort in Sindhudurg district earlier this week, should take responsibility. As a precautionary measure to avoid any kind of agitation during the PM's visit to the city, police presence has been increased outside several Congress leaders' homes, an official said. Some Congress leaders and their supporters were also detained as a precautionary measure, said a police official.

Besides Gaikwad, police teams also went to her party colleague Nasim Khan's residence at Jari Mari in the Sakinaka area, the official added.

(With inputs from agencies.)