Police detained activist, fearing protest against Clinton

Feroze Mithiborwala, a social activist from an organisation called Awami Bharat, was detained by the MIDC police of Andheri (E) on Friday night. Mithiborwala claimed the police picked him up as they suspected he might protest US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton’s visit to Mumbai. The police, however, maintain he was detained for routine questioning. Clinton is in the city to step up economic and strategic ties between the US and India.

According to Mithiborwala, three plainclothes policemen brought him to MIDC station on Friday night. “I repeatedly asked them why I was brought to the police station, but no one said anything,” said Mithiborwala, adding that he learnt only later that the police thought he may hold a protest. “We have organised protests against the US before, so the police thought we were planning one this time too. But we had not.”

While Mithiborwala claimed he was kept in custody till Saturday evening, police officials said he allegedly refused to leave. Senior police inspector of MIDC police station, Pradeep Suryavanshi said: “We had called him for routine questioning. He is just trying to gain publicity with this Clinton episode.” He added that another member of the organisation, Kishore Jagtap, was also at the police station and refused to leave.

Awami Bharat has a history of protesting US actions. It has earlier protested the Indo-US nuclear deal, India’s tie-up with Israel on security matters, and Indo-US strategic military relations.