Mumbai, Oct 10: Former Rajya Sabha MP and veteran Congress leader Husain Dalwai has written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, expressing strong outrage over the detention of senior social activist Firoze Mithiborawala and several other activists across Maharashtra.

Dalwai, in his letter on Friday, said that activists and student union members were traveling to New Delhi to participate in a peaceful rally scheduled for Saturday.

The protest, organised by various student organisations and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), aims to demand transparency in the electoral process.

Dalwai stated that the police used high-handed tactics to detain Mithiborawala directly from his residence in Mumbai and kept him in police custody to prevent him from reaching the national capital.

Additionally, several other activists and students travelling by train from Maharashtra were intercepted and detained at various railway stations.

Terming the police action as “authoritarian” and a direct violation of fundamental democratic rights, Dalwai highlighted that the Indian Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, movement, and peaceful assembly. He condemned treating peaceful activists and youth like criminals.

In his appeal, Dalwai urged the Chief Minister to immediately intervene in the matter, take note of the police crackdown, and issue directives to administration officials for the immediate and honourable release of all detained activists and students across the state.

Earlier, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) launched a scathing attack on the Centre, accusing it of driving Indian democracy to its grave.

The Thackeray camp in the party mouthpiece “Saamana” editorial commented on the intensifying political showdown surrounding Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, widespread opposition protests, and an unprecedented state-sponsored crackdown on democratic dissent.

The editorial highlighted that Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s aggressive campaign against CEC Gyanesh Kumar—triggered by allegations of electoral manipulation—has sent shockwaves through the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

It asserted that instead of addressing accusations of systemic electoral irregularities, the ruling establishment is shielding the election chief at all costs, calling the protection of such actions a “betrayal of the nation”.

Condemning the handling of recent demonstrations, the editorial pointed out a glaring double standard by the administration. While Opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were dragged, manhandled, and bundled into police vehicles during peaceful protests at Jantar Mantar, BJP Mahila Morcha activists staging abrasive demonstrations outside the Congress headquarters were granted absolute immunity by the home ministry, alleged the “Saamana” editorial.

The Thackeray camp claimed that the government planned to deploy around two lakh armed members of Bajrang Dal to Jantar Mantar to crush the opposition’s youth-led “cockroach” movement. It argued that relying on political gangs and “private armies” to violently suppress lawful public dissent invites absolute anarchy and civil unrest.

Mumbai, Oct 10: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Centre, accusing it of driving Indian democracy to its grave.

The Thackeray camp in the party mouthpiece Saamana editorial commented on the intensifying political showdown surrounding CEC Gyanesh Kumar and widespread opposition protests demanding his resignation.

The editorial highlighted that Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s aggressive campaign against CEC Gyanesh Kumar — triggered by allegations of electoral manipulation — has sent shockwaves through the ruling BJP.

It asserted that instead of addressing accusations of systemic electoral irregularities, the ruling establishment is shielding the election chief at all costs, calling protection of such actions a “betrayal of the nation”.

Condemning the handling of recent demonstrations, the editorial pointed out a glaring double standard by the administration. “While opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were dragged, manhandled, and bundled into police vehicles during peaceful protests at Jantar Mantar, BJP Mahila Morcha activists staging abrasive demonstrations outside the Congress headquarters were granted absolute immunity by the Home Ministry,” alleged the editorial.

The Thackeray camp claimed the government planned to deploy around two lakh armed members of Bajrang Dal at Jantar Mantar to crush the opposition’s youth-led “cockroach” movement.

It argued that relying on political gangs and “private armies” to violently suppress lawful public dissent invites absolute anarchy and civil unrest.

Detailing ongoing administrative blocks, the editorial noted that Delhi Police denied formal permissions for protests, long-distance trains heading toward Delhi were canceled en route, and young demonstrators traveling to participate were intercepted and arrested.

Citing remarks from senior BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi regarding Abraham Lincoln’s democratic principles — which emphasise free elections, transparent bureaucracy, and responsible governance — the editorial lamented that none of these tenets survive under the current dispensation, where constitutional bodies face institutional capture.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena said the current political climate surpasses authoritarian levels, with the ruling administration allegedly willing to break opposition resolve through physical intimidation rather than political accountability.

As opposition parties rally and tensions and friction between state machinery and protestors peak, it warned that public discontent against the erosion of democratic frameworks has reached a critical threshold.

Mumbai, Oct 9: The ED arrested two accused in fresh action against a trans-national organised narcotics trafficking syndicate operated by fugitive don Dawood Ibrahim’s aide Salim Ismail Dola and his associates, an official said on Friday.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mumbai Zonal Office, arrested Pravin alias Nagesh Ramchandra Shinde and Brijesh Kanjibhai Moradiya under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

The ED investigation was initiated based on multiple FIRs registered by various law enforcement agencies in Mumbai against Salim Dola and others for offences relating to illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

The investigation conducted so far has revealed the existence of a highly organised trans-national criminal network engaged in procurement of precursor chemicals, clandestine manufacture of Mephedrone (MD), interstate transportation and distribution of narcotic drugs, international trafficking of narcotic substances, collection and layering of proceeds of crime through hawala channels, and acquisition of movable and immovable assets in the names of associates and other persons, the ED said in a statement.

Investigation revealed that Pravin alias Nagesh Ramchandra Shinde was involved in the illegal clandestine manufacturing of MD and in activities connected with generation, handling, possession, utilisation and movement of proceeds derived from illicit sale of the said narcotic substance, the ED said.

Investigation has further revealed that the illicit proceeds were used to acquire immovable properties and other assets in the names of persons closely associated with him, it said.

The investigation also revealed that Brijesh Moradiya was involved in arranging the procurement and supply of the precursor chemical used for the illicit manufacture of MD.

The cash received from Salim Dola through the Angadiya channel for procuring the precursor chemical was deposited and routed through multiple third-party/family accounts and entities controlled/arranged by him and his associates, then transferred through the banking channel to various chemical companies/entities, thereby facilitating procurement of the precursor chemical.

Simultaneously, amounts involved in these transactions were received by Brijesh Moradiya and his associates/family accounts in the guise of commission from the sale of the chemical and the same were thereafter further transferred, layered and utilised.

The ED had earlier conducted search operations at 21 locations across Mumbai, Surat, Ankleshwar and Rajkot on June 2, 2026 and June 3, 2026 in this case and had covered the entire spectrum of the organised narcotics network of Salim Dola targeting end-to-end nodes of the syndicate including precursor chemical suppliers, chemical traders, manufacturers/distributors of the synthetic narcotic drug Mephedrone (MD), Hawala Operators and persons holding benami properties worth crores of rupees acquired from proceeds generated through the organised drug syndicate.

The searches resulted in the seizure and freezing of cash, foreign currency, gold bars, and bank balances valued at Rs 1.33 crore (approx.), along with $2,200. Additionally, documents relating to immovable properties worth several crores of rupees located in India and Dubai were recovered, indicating substantial investments made from the proceeds of the organised drug syndicate, the statement said.