MUMBAI, May 21 -- The second day of the Western Railway's (WR) anti-encroachment drive in Garib Nagar, Bandra (East), on Wednesday, was marked by palpable tension, with incidents of stone pelting and demonstrations by bike-borne protestors being reported. Authorities had intensified the operation by deploying additional personnel on Wednesday. The situation allegedly escalated when an illegal religious structure next to the railway tracks was partially demolished. Police resorted to lathi charge to disperse the crowd; seven police personnel were injured during the clashes, while 10 people were detained by the Nirmal Nagar police. A press note issued by BMC later in the day read, five of the injured police personnel and three protestors were discharged against medical advice from Bhabha Hospital, Bandra, and VN Desai Hospital, Santacruz. Shubham Kothari, who works with the Jan Haqq Sangharsh Samiti, an NGO that works to better the lives of citizens of Garib Nagar, said: "Locals were agitated after the religious spot was demolished. People were seen retrieving religious items from the debris even after the drive ended for the day." According to police, residents threw buckets of water on policemen and railway staff during the agitation and shouted slogans. Police resorted to lathi charge to bring the situation under control and disperse the mob, appealing to the locals to stay calm, as WR officials continued the anti-encroachment operation, said a police officer. Additional commissioner of police (west region) Abhinav Deshmukh said: "As the anti-encroachment drive was going on, complying with the high court order, some anti-social elements tried to obstruct the work by pelting stones on the demolition squad. Mumbai police used appropriate force to disperse the anti-social elements. Stern legal action will be taken against the vandals. The process of registering FIRs is going on." While 1000 police personnel was deployed on Tuesday, it was increased to 1200 on Wednesday. WR officials said nearly 60% of the approximately 500 encroached structures identified in the area have been demolished so far. The exercise started at around 8 am on Wednesday and continued throughout the day under heavy police presence. It is scheduled to continue over the next two days. WR embarked on the anti-encroachment drive, following a Bombay high court (HC) order of April 29, 2026. Meanwhile, in order for the anti-encroachment drive to continue smoothly and block civilians from entering the zone, authorities shut Station Road between Bandra Court and Nirmal Nagar. It resulted in confusion and congestion on alternate routes to reach Bandra Terminus. Niharika M, a passenger said, "One had to make their way through the chaos to reach Bandra Terminus with several passengers stuck in the traffic congestion owing to closure of the main approach road to the station. As a result, many passengers missed their outbound trains." On Wednesday, Varun Sardesai, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA from Bandra East criticised BJP leader Kirit Somaiya "for giving the anti-encroachment drive, being carried out to aid infrastructure development, a communal colour". Somaiya, who was present at Garib Nagar on Tuesday, had said, "Muslim land mafias had encroached illegal slum; and now, after the court and CM Fadnavis's direction, action has started. Land jihad will not be tolerated in Mumbai." Reacting to his statement Sardesai said on Wednesday: "We are all aware that WR officials were present there for a briefing and shared information with the citizens. But BJP used the opportunity to set a Hindu-Muslim narrative." He also slammed BJP workers for broadcasting videos of the drive on social media, saying that it was carried out "only because Mumbai now has a BJP mayor and that it was executed on behalf of the CM."...