Bollywood actor Imran Khan and his girlfriend Lekha Washington were among more than 400 people detained by Mumbai Police on Saturday during a protest in support of the Cockroach Janata Party’s (CJP) call for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The detentions took place at August Kranti Maidan, the proposed venue for the demonstration, and other locations across the city as police moved to prevent unauthorized gatherings.
Speaking to the media before his detention, Imran said he had joined the protest in his capacity as a citizen, seeking answers over restrictions on freedom of movement and the suppression of public voices.
“I don’t have demands. I am here as a citizen, as someone who lives in this city. I am here to see why freedom of movement is being restricted — why people’s voices are being suppressed. That is why I am here,” the actor said, according to ANI.
He clarified that he was not affiliated with any organization and was participating in his individual capacity.
“I don’t have any right to demand anything from people. I am not a part of any organization. I will stand as a representative,” he added.
Following his detention, Imran shared a photograph of himself apparently inside a police vehicle on social media, captioning it: “Apparently I’m going for a drive.”
The police action in Mumbai came amid a wider crackdown on demonstrations linked to the CJP’s protest call.
In New Delhi, around 1,000 protesters had been detained while attempting to march towards Jantar Mantar, Delhi Police sources said on Saturday.
The protesters were demanding Kumar’s resignation over alleged voter roll irregularities and claims of “vote theft” raised by opposition groups.