Jantar Mantar agitation was youth festival against authoritarianism: Shiv Sena(UBT) in ‘Saamana

Mumbai:  In a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government and Uttar Pradesh Police, the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray(UBT) on Tuesday accused authorities of launching a politically motivated crackdown against activists Muhammad Junaid and Shadab Saifi, who provided daily food and water to the protesters at Jantar Mantar.

In a hard-hitting editorial in its party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the Thackeray camp detailed how UP Police have targeted Junaid and his extended family, including his parents, sister, and in-laws, detaining them for up to 12 hours at a time in police stations. According to the editorial, investigators are attempting to trace the financial sources behind a 35-day relief operation that supplied meals to thousands of demonstrators daily.

The editorial alleged that the state machinery actively attempted to starve out the protest site. Authorities reportedly ordered the closure of nearby hotels, street food stalls, and commercial food delivery services across the adjacent Connaught Place area to cut off supplies. Despite these measures, and while suffering foot injuries himself, Junaid coordinated meal distribution alongside local Sikh langars (community kitchens) operating around the clock, the editorial highlighted.

The Shiv Sena(UBT) alleged that the administration was misusing state apparatus to investigate basic humanitarian acts while failing on pivotal national security issues. “The government failed to locate the terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack that killed 27 tourists, nor did it identify the source of the RDX used in the Pulwama attack that claimed 40 jawans,” the editorial noted.

“Yet, the entire machinery is deployed to track who funded Junaid’s meal drives simply because he wears a beard and a cap.” The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena further claimed that the central leadership has “nothing to do with humanity or patriotism”, asserting that Junaid and his family are being harassed simply because the administration is baffled by the scale of the community-led relief effort.

Turning the financial scrutiny back onto the ruling party, the editorial demanded equal accountability and public audits for government and political funds. The editorial called for total transparency regarding the origins, major donors, and ownership of thousands of crores deposited during the Covid-19 pandemic. It demanded an official inquiry into the thousands of crores accumulated in the BJP’s electoral funds and corporate donations.

Refusing to view the recent youth agitation as a setback, the Thackeray camp framed the Jantar Mantar demonstrations as a vibrant movement against authoritarianism. “In reality, the agitation at Jantar Mantar was not a crying movement, but a massive, vibrant festival of youth,” the editorial asserted.

“Even after enduring police lathis, pellet guns, spiked batons, and tear gas canisters, there were no signs of pain on the faces of these young people. Therefore, if ‘cockroaches’ sit together in a meeting to deliberate after the agitation ends, BJP supporters have no reason to feel hurt,” it remarked.

Concluding its critique, the Thackeray camp urged prominent figures, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and human rights advocates, to join forces against the alleged state oppression targeting Junaid, Saifi, and other grassroots organisers.

–IANS