Shiv Sena (UBT) Criticizes Central Government for Institutionalizing Authoritarianism

Mumbai, October 14 (Daily Kiran) : Shiv Sena (UBT) has launched a scathing attack on the central government, accusing it of institutionalizing authoritarianism and systematically suppressing public dissent. This criticism follows the Delhi police’s decision to revoke the designated protest site status at Jantar Mantar, a historic location for demonstrations.

In an editorial published in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana,’ the Thackeray faction argued that recent police directives have forced protests away from the seat of power. New locations for demonstrations, such as Ram Leela Maidan (4 km away), CBD Ground in Shahdara (12 km away), and Burari Ground (20-21 km away), have been designated. The editorial contended that this is a deliberate strategy to ensure that public movements do not resonate in Parliament or within the national consciousness.

Highlighting the commercialization of democratic rights, the editorial pointed out that venues like Ram Leela Maidan cost over ₹150,000 per day to book, require reservations months in advance, and are often occupied by religious or ruling party events.

The piece emphasized that peaceful assembly is a constitutionally protected right and that pushing voices beyond city limits indicates a deep administrative fear. This administrative action followed protests by groups demanding accountability for electoral integrity, which resulted in heavy security deployments and widespread preventive detentions in the capital.

The Thackeray faction noted that opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have condemned this action, while legal challenges against the police’s decision regarding Jantar Mantar are swiftly reaching the Delhi High Court.

Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena asserted that when a government begins to fear its own people, the countdown to its end officially begins.