Politics – Amit Shah’s Pune Visit Marked by Tight Security and Protest Preparations
Politics – Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Pune for a day-long visit featuring official engagements and public events, while heightened security arrangements were put in place across the city amid plans by the Congress to stage a demonstration over the alleged police action against students during a protest in Delhi.
Shah arrived in Pune late Friday night on a special flight and was welcomed at the airport by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Senior officials, including District Collector Jitendra Dudi, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar and other administrative officers, were also present to receive the Union minister. Authorities strengthened security measures across key locations ahead of his scheduled appearances.
Youth Congress Workers Taken Into Custody Before Protest
Hours before the planned demonstration, Pune Police detained four Youth Congress members during the night. According to Congress leaders, those taken into custody were Akshay Jain, Gaurav Balande, Saddam Sheikh and Raju Thombre. They were reportedly brought to Deccan Police Station late on Friday.
The Congress had announced a protest during Amit Shah’s visit, alleging excessive police action against students during a July 20 protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. Party leaders said the Pune demonstration would be held under the leadership of city Congress president Prashant Jagtap, Deepti Chaudhary and former MLA Mohan Joshi.
The BJP, meanwhile, stated that its workers would respond to the protest, prompting concerns about possible face-to-face demonstrations between supporters of both political parties.
Detained Workers Raise Allegations Against Police
Following their detention, the Youth Congress workers released a video claiming that police personnel reached their homes close to midnight and took them into custody despite the group having official permission to organise a protest on Saturday morning.
One of the workers alleged in the video that they were detained without prior notice even though permission had already been granted for a gathering scheduled at 10:30 am during the Union Home Minister’s visit.
The workers also claimed the police action was influenced by pressure from the government and expressed concern that they could remain in custody until the planned protest concluded. At the time of these allegations, Pune Police had not issued a separate response specifically addressing the claims made by the Youth Congress members.
Police Outline Security and Protest Arrangements
Deputy Commissioner of Police Gauhar Hussain said the administration had permitted the protest at the designated venue, Utsav Chowk, and appealed to organisers to conduct the demonstration only at the approved location.
He explained that the arrangements for Amit Shah’s security were being managed independently from the protest deployment and emphasised that police personnel would focus on maintaining public order. According to the officer, authorities were committed to ensuring that no untoward incidents disrupted the day’s programmes or affected law and order in the city.
Amit Shah Scheduled to Attend Multiple Public Events
During his visit, Amit Shah is expected to begin the day by paying floral tributes at the memorial of Lokshahir Anna Bhau Sathe at Sarasbaug on the occasion of the social reformer’s birth anniversary.
Later, he is scheduled to present the Lokmanya Tilak National Award 2026 to National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at a function organised by the Lokmanya Tilak Memorial Trust at the Kataria High School ground in Mukund Nagar. The Union Home Minister is also expected to participate in a programme at Tilak Maharashtra University before concluding his visit.
With high-profile events and political demonstrations taking place on the same day, security agencies have maintained enhanced vigilance across Pune to facilitate the official schedule while ensuring peaceful conduct of the approved protest.