Bollywood Actor Imran Khan Detained; Videos Allegedly Show Hindu Nationalist Activist Beating GenZ Protesters

NEW DELHI, Oct 10: Indian actor Imran Khan was detained by Mumbai Police on Saturday as authorities intensified their crackdown on demonstrations organised in support of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), while more than 1,500 people were detained across New Delhi ahead of a planned protest against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls.

According to ANI, Imran Khan was detained near August Kranti Maidan, the proposed venue for a solidarity protest in Mumbai. The actor later shared a selfie from inside a police van on Instagram, captioning it, “Apparently I’m going for a drive.”

Mumbai Police said permission had not been granted for the gathering, citing Bombay High Court directions restricting protests to Azad Maidan. CJP supporters, however, claimed they had emailed police seeking permission but received no response.

In New Delhi, police detained more than 1,500 people ahead of the CJP’s planned demonstration at Jantar Mantar, according to reports. Those detained included opposition leaders and activists, with former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee among those taken into custody as they sought to join the protest.

The demonstrations were organised amid growing anger over revisions to electoral rolls, which protesters allege have resulted in the wrongful removal of voters’ names. They have demanded accountability from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Meanwhile, allegations of physical assaults on young demonstrators by individuals described by protesters as members of Hindu nationalist groups also circulated on social media. Posts alleged that a man identified as Ravindra Govinda, described as a member of the Hindu Raksha Dal, was involved in beating a young protester. The posts also accused police of failing to intervene effectively. These specific allegations could not be independently verified.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organisation founded in 1925, has longstanding ideological and organisational links with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his political career in the RSS before moving into the BJP. The RSS and BJP have played influential roles in India's Hindu nationalist movement, although allegations concerning individual activists and specific incidents require independent verification.

The protests and detentions have intensified debate over freedom of peaceful assembly, electoral transparency and the handling of dissent in the world's largest democracy.