Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, claimed that he was detained by the police in Mumbai's Santacruz as as he left his home to commemorate the Quit India Day. Taking to social media, he said, "For the first time in history of Indipendent India I have been detained at Santa Cruz Police Station as I left home to commemorate 9th August Quit India Day. I am proud My Great Grandparents Bapu and Ba had also been arrested by the British Police on the historic date."
Activist Teesta Setalvad among others was also not allowed to take part in the silent walk meant to commemorate the day. Several were also interrogated by the police at Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai.
The peace march was scheduled to pay tributes to the freedom fighters and martyrs.
In another post, after he was allowed to leave, Tushar Gandhi said, "Fear in our society is so palpable, I got into a Riksha at Santa Cruz Police Station after I was allowed to go. When we reached Bandra I hailed an old Muslim taxi driver to take me to August Kranti Maidan, He saw the police car & panicked told me “Saab mujhe nahin fasna. Took a lot of convincing to reassure him. This is the malady afflicting our society today that’s why #Nafraton_Bharat_Chodo_Mohobbat_Se_Dilon_ko_jodo is necessary.”
Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Pawan Khera tweeted, "Quit India has been replaced with Quiet India."
Quit India has been replaced with Quiet India. https://t.co/bC1XaYXm6L
The orgnisers of the march in a statement said, "Quit India ke Din pe, Gandhiji ka Par-Pota Jail mai!!"
It added, "Today, on the 81st Anniversary of the historic QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT led by Mahatma Gandhi, we have witnessed a draconian crackdown by the BJP-led regime in Maharashtra. Our veteran Freedom Fighters have been commemorating this epic day of our freedom struggle ever since 1943 itself. Dr. G. G. Parikh who was a young student when he participated in the Quit India Movement in 1942, and who continues to lead this march even at the age of 99, is utterly distraught at this bizarre turn of events."
Attacking the BJP government, the organisers stated, "It's actually for the first time that the BJP-led government is attempting to commemorate this day, a day that their ideological predecessors had opposed, even as the RSS & Hindu Mahasabha connived with the British Empire. The advertisement issued by the BJP-led government does not even mention the QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT. It's once again clear that the BJP-RSS are trying their best, or rather their worst, to co-opt and distort our freedom struggle."
The organisers said around 50 activists were detained at the D. B. Marg Police station, and would be let off only after the official programme was over.