PM Modi in Mumbai: Police have detained us, claims Congress lawmaker Varsha Gaikwad

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Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Mumbai North Central constituency Varsha Gaikwad claimed on Friday that the police had detained her and many of her party workers ahead of their planned protest during Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi's visit to the city. The Congress said that PM Modi, who unveiled the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that collapsed at Rajkot fort in Sindhudurg district earlier this week, should take responsibility for the incident, reported news agency PTI.

PM Modi is on a visit to Maharashtra to address the Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024 at Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai and lay the foundation stone of Vadhvan Port project, worth around Rs 76,000 crore, in Palghar district on Friday, according to his office.

"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 (PM) to apologise or staging a silent protest is a crime. If questions cannot be asked to the country's PM, then whom should we pose our questions to," Gaikwad questioned.

Taking to social media platform X, Gaikwad, who is also the Mumbai Congress chief, wrote, "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 apologise for the insult to our icon." In the video with the post, Gaikwad and other Congress members are seen taken in a police van.

A police officer said that amid PM Modi's visit, the police presence has been increased outside several Congress leaders' homes as a precautionary measure, to avoid any kind of agitation. Some Congress leaders and their supporters have also detained as a precautionary measure, the officer added.

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

(With PTI inputs)