Mumbai:

In a powerful display of unity and resolve, Mumbai’s streets echoed with calls for justice as the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Jan Suraksha Law Opposition Struggle Committee, and allied social organizations staged a vibrant Peace March on Thursday. Marking the 156th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the 121st of Lal Bahadur Shastri, the march protested the contentious Maharashtra Special Public Security Act, 2025, branded by critics as a draconian assault on democratic freedoms.

The rally ignited at 11 a.m., starting from the BharatRatna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar statue in Fort and culminating at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial near Mantralaya. Hundreds of activists, citizens, and leaders from diverse political and social groups joined hands, weaving through Mumbai’s historic core to demand the repeal of the controversial law.

Spearheading the march were luminaries like Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad, Mumbai Congress Chairperson; Rakhi Jadhav, Mumbai President of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction); Sachin Bhau Ahir, MLA from Shiv Sena (UBT); Shailendra Kambale, Mumbai District Secretary of CPI(M); Dr. S.K. Rege, CPI(M) Mumbai Board Member; Prakash Reddy, senior CPI leader; Bhai Raju Korade, Office Secretary of Shramik Ekta Kamgar Party; Vijay Kulkarni, Central Committee Member of CPI(ML) Liberation; Kishor Kardak, Maharashtra President of All India Forward Bloc; and Sandhya Gokhale of PUCL. Their presence, alongside countless MVA and Left Front workers, underscored a collective stand against oppression.

The air thrummed with electrifying chants: “Long Live the Indian Constitution!”, “Victory to Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar!”, “Scrap the Jan Suraksha Bill!”, “Vote Thieves, Quit the Throne!”, “No Caste or Religious Strife in Babasaheb’s Nation!”, and “Bapu’s India Rejects Caste and Communal Divide!” These slogans, blending Gandhian non-violence with Ambedkarite calls for equality, shook the Mantralaya precinct, resonating with Mumbai’s spirit of resistance.

The Maharashtra Special Public Security Act, enacted in July 2025 amid fierce opposition, grants authorities sweeping powers to label organizations “unlawful” and detain individuals without trial for up to three years. Critics, including civil liberties groups, warn it threatens free speech and targets progressive voices, drawing parallels to colonial-era laws.

Organizers dubbed the march a “peaceful roar for constitutional values,” vowing to escalate their campaign until the law is repealed. The event concluded with floral tributes at Gandhi’s statue, where participants reaffirmed their commitment to Gandhi and Shastri’s legacy of truth, justice, and unity.

As Mumbai’s skyline bore witness to this historic rally, the message was clear: the fight for democracy endures. Stay tuned for updates on the Jan Suraksha Law protests.