The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Tuesday accused the Centre and state authorities of using authoritarian tactics against protesters, alleging that police action against students, women and journalists in Delhi and Mumbai had created an atmosphere of unrest across the country.

In an editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah over what it described as their silence on the alleged police excesses. The editorial claimed that the handling of protests had created a situation resembling civil war, while accusing the authorities of using excessive force against demonstrators.