BJP leader urges police to detain foreign actor Imran Khan over illegal protest participation

BJP lawmaker Kirit Somaiya has asked Mumbai police to arrest and deport actor Imran Khan, saying the actor’s foreign citizenship makes his involvement in a protest unlawful. Somaiya wrote to Joint Commissioner Manoj Kumar Sharma, questioning whether Khan could knowingly breach the law and asking for clarification on his status under OCI and visa rules. He labelled the rally supporting the Cockroach Janta Party as an illegal political agitation and argued that non‑Indian citizens do not enjoy the same rights as citizens. Khan was taken into custody on October 10 at August Kranti Maidan, the site earmarked for the CJP rally. He later posted a selfie from inside the police van on Instagram, captioning it with a light‑hearted note about going for a drive. In a media interview, Khan said he had no specific demands and was there as a resident of Mumbai, wanting to understand why movement was being restricted and why voices were being silenced. More than 400 protesters were also detained that Saturday for gathering without permission. Mumbai police said the protest lacked clearance and cited a Bombay High Court order that limits demonstrations to Azad Maidan. CJP supporters claim they had emailed the police for permission but received no reply. The rally was organised by Tushar Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s great‑grandson, who called for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over a dispute on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Gandhi was briefly detained while heading to the venue but was later released.

Context

The incident highlights the tension between foreign‑origin residents’ political activism and Indian laws that restrict protest participation to citizens, especially when court orders dictate designated protest zones.