Mumbai: Mumbai’s anti-NEET paper leak demonstrations entered their fourth consecutive day on Thursday, echoing the larger, ongoing agitation at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. However, despite political outfits stepping in to pump momentum into the movement, turnout among young student protesters saw a sharp dip across the city following a crackdown by law enforcement. Over 150 demonstrators were detained across multiple transit and civic hubs, with 47 booked under two separate cases linked to a state-wide bandh call.
The visual contrast between Wednesday and Thursday was stark. A day after a crowd of over 3,000 – backed by prominent actors and musicians – assembled at Dadar’s iconic Shivaji Park, Thursday saw a sparse gathering of just over 1,000 demonstrators.
The sharp drop stems largely from a growing fear of legal repercussions. On Tuesday, the Mumbai Police issued prohibitory orders under Section 37 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951, slated for enforcement starting Thursday.
"There was a sense of fear that if we were being detained even before these rules took effect, what would happen once they were enforced?" said a college student who had attended the prior three days of demonstrations, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We are waiting to see how the police react today before deciding when to resume."
As student numbers thinned for Instagram-led spontaneous protest, political organisations attempted to anchor the momentum. Amid heavy security at Shivaji Park, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) organized a public signature campaign, though officers stepped in to disperse the gathering peacefully to prevent overcrowding.
Concurrently, the Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) spearheaded a state-wide bandh to protest an alleged police lathi-charge on student demonstrators in New Delhi. VBA members staged demonstrations across key pockets of Mumbai, including Fort, Chunabhatti, Bhandup, and Powai.
In Bhandup, party office-bearer Snehal Soni led a march from Tembhipada to the railway station, alleging that police visited party workers' homes overnight to deter participation. Despite these measures, several shopkeepers and autorickshaw drivers in the area voluntarily closed operations in solidarity.
Political figures were among those rounded up during the sweeps. Sujat Ambedkar, son of VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar, was briefly detained alongside several women protesters at Chunabhatti for participating in an unlawful assembly.
Similarly, Powai’s Chaitanya Nagar saw a brief, peaceful demonstration by roughly 20 VBA activists before police managed the scene. Near Mumbai University’s Kalina campus in Santacruz (E), seven members of the Chhatra Bharati Students' Union, including two female students, were detained by the police.
While police maintained a visible presence and held back large assemblies, overall enforcement on the fourth day was marked by tactical restraint to prevent escalation.
However, intense vigilance did lead to moments of confusion. At Shivaji Park, officers mistakenly detained a passerby solely for wearing a black shirt. He was promptly released after questioning revealed he was an air-conditioner repair technician unaffiliated with the movement.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) Akbar Pathan, detentions were carried out across ten major sectors, including Trombay, Sakinaka, Malvani, Dahisar, BKC, Goregaon, Charkop, Mankhurd, Sewri, and Shivaji Park. While the vast majority were released after brief processing, 55 individuals were formally booked by Chunabhatti, Wadala and Nehru Nagar police for breaching prohibitory orders related to the bandh call.
Apart from the registration of three new cases on Thursday related to Maharashtra Band, the police have previously filed 17 FIRs in connection with the week’s citywide demonstrations. Organisers are currently reassessing their strategy as police continue to enforce restrictions on public gatherings.
VOICES
Students and young professionals from across the city travelled to Shivaji Park to participate in the protest. Many of them said the protest was not limited to the NEET exam but reflected growing public anger over repeated examination irregularities, alleged paper leaks and concerns over the future of students.
Gaurav Singh Bhadoriya, an aspiring actor from Versova, criticised the police action on students and said, "The lathi-charge on students is wrong. Police personnel also have children, and they should understand the pain of students. This is not just about NEET, it is a cumulative reaction to several issues affecting common people," he said.
Independent filmmaker Arjun Singh, who travelled from Andheri West, alleged that the government had failed students. "Students are losing their lives because of the system. Instead of addressing their concerns, the authorities are resorting to force. The Union Education Minister should take responsibility," he said.
Manav Singhania, a Class-9 student from Goregaon (E), said he joined the protest after seeing older students struggle with uncertainty. "Some of my senior friends are depressed because of repeated paper leaks. The education system needs urgent reforms. My parents knew I was coming here and they supported my decision," he said.
Mustafa Shaikh, an IT Graduate from Thakur College, Kandivali East, alleged that even peaceful gatherings were being prevented. "Students are only trying to raise their voice peacefully, but they are not even being allowed to stand on the road," he said.
Apart from students, parents also joined the protest in demand of a better future for their children. Sunita Sonavane, mother of a Class-12 student, said she had taken leave from work to participate. "The government should listen to students before more young lives are affected. I came here because this concerns the future of every family," she said.
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