Congress Threatens to Gherao CM Residence Over Detention of Students at Dadar

Maharashtra Congress leaders threatened on Monday, October 5, 2026, to gherao Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' official residence, 'Varsha', following the alleged midnight detention of tribal students and student leaders from the party's headquarters at Tilak Bhavan in Dadar.

Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal demanded the immediate release of the detained tribal students as well as Maharashtra NSUI president Sagar Salunkhe and Mumbai NSUI president Pradyumna Yadav. Sapkal stated that police personnel entered the Congress office during the night to detain the students, who had reached Mumbai after carrying out a long march from Nashik to raise demands regarding tribal welfare.

Condemning the police action, Sapkal questioned the necessity of detaining peaceful protesters in the middle of the night. He stated that the Congress party stands firmly behind the students and will not tolerate any attempts to suppress their welfare demands, warning of a mass protest outside the Chief Minister's official residence if they are not freed.

Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad also spoke out against the police deployment and barricading around Tilak Bhavan. Speaking to reporters at the party office, Gaikwad questioned why authorities had cordoned off the premises, arguing that Tilak Bhavan is a political office accessible to the public and describing the police measures as "jungle raj."

Congress MLA Bhai Jagtap, who visited the Dadar premises, alleged that several students were transported to the Yellow Gate police station while others were moved towards Thane. Jagtap claimed that several students, including women, were made to wait outside police stations for hours, and raised concerns regarding the treatment and movement of the NSUI office bearers.

Congress Working Committee member and former minister Naseem Khan demanded that cases be registered against the police officers involved in the action. Khan explained that the tribal students had been demonstrating peacefully over poor conditions in ashram schools, citing shortages of basic amenities such as food and drinking water. Khan subsequently led a party delegation to Dadar police station to file a formal complaint against the personnel who entered Tilak Bhavan.

Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar and senior leader Balasaheb Thorat also condemned the midnight detention and reiterated their support for the protesting tribal students.