Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Tuesday, 13 October launched a scathing attack on the Centre and state leadership through its mouthpiece Saamana, accusing the government of fostering a 'civil-war-like' atmosphere across the country through alleged police brutality against peaceful protesters in Delhi and Mumbai. The editorial directly targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, condemning what it called their 'silence and apathy' amid mounting protests.

What the Saamana Editorial Alleged

The Uddhav Thackeray-led faction's editorial described Delhi as having been 'transformed into a massive police station' where, it alleged, children and young women were being 'shamelessly beaten'. The piece cited Supreme Court directives that prohibit police from using batons on protesters when there is no rioting, accusing security forces in both Delhi and Mumbai of defying those orders by allegedly subjecting 'peaceful satyagrahis to brutal force'.

Specific allegations included that women satyagrahis and journalists in Delhi faced 'ruthless behaviour', with claims that male police personnel molested and manhandled them — accusations that remain unverified independently and were attributed entirely to the Saamana editorial.

Prominent Figures Allegedly Targeted at Protests

The editorial named several public figures it claimed were subjected to rough treatment during peaceful demonstrations. According to the piece, MP John Brittas, CPI General Secretary M.A. Baby, and Kerala opposition leader P. Vijayan were allegedly 'dragged, beaten, and stuffed into prison vans' while participating in a satyagraha. In Mumbai, the editorial alleged that students — including numerous female college students — staging a satyagraha near Shivaji Park were 'cruelly dragged and forced into police vans'.

Attack on Modi, Shah and the BJP

The Thackeray camp criticised Prime Minister Modi for travelling to Chennai to review metro presentations and 'deliver lectures on development' without, the editorial argued, uttering a single word about the unrest gripping the country. Home Minister Amit Shah was accused of 'crushing' Supreme Court orders and 'unleashing brute force on peaceful protesters', with the editorial claiming these actions were fuelling public anger against the Prime Minister.

In a particularly sharp passage, the Saamana editorial accused Shah of 'staying sequestered behind armed guards, ignoring public uprisings and police crackdowns, and instead celebrating by distributing sweets on social media over the BJP's by-election victories in states like West Bengal and Puducherry.'

Intellectuals and Celebrities Called Out

The editorial broadened its attack to prominent award-winning personalities — holders of honours such as Bharat Ratna, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Jnanpith, and Sahitya Akademi awards — as well as film and theatre celebrities. Drawing a parallel to the alleged silence of intellectuals during the eras of Hitler and Mussolini, the piece quoted writer Harishankar Parsai, describing the country's intellectuals as 'nominal tigers who merely play band in a jackal's wedding.'

'While actors and public figures deliver heavy dialogues on screen, they zip their mouths when the nation faces a crisis, acting as beneficiaries of the government just like beneficiaries of welfare schemes,' the editorial claimed.

In contrast, the Thackeray camp praised Prakash Raj, Naseeruddin Shah, and Jaya Bachchan, along with former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar — all of whom reportedly voiced opposition to police high-handedness — as demonstrating 'true spirit and greater nationalism.'

Warning and Conclusion

The editorial warned that treating opportunistic celebrities as neutral when a political shift occurs would represent 'an ultimate betrayal of the youth who are currently suffering under police oppression and fighting against dictatorship.' It concluded by declaring that 'intellectuals who silently watch such atrocities are enemies of society and of no use to the nation.' This comes amid a broader pattern of opposition parties escalating rhetoric against the Centre over law-enforcement conduct during protest movements — an issue that is likely to remain politically charged in the weeks ahead.