Maharashtra Polls: Uddhav Thackeray's Bag Inspected In Yavatmal, Questions If Modi, Eknath Face Same Scrutiny

Maharashtra Election 2024: Uddhav Thackeray questioned election officials' inspection of his bag, asking if they inspected other leaders' bags, including PM Modi and CM Eknath Shinde.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's bag was inspected when he arrived in Yavatmal, Maharashtra on Monday.

Source : PTI

Maharashtra Election 2024: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday questioned election officials as they inspected his bag when he arrived in Yavatmal for a campaign event ahead of the November 20 assembly elections. 

In a video shared on the Shiv Sena (UBT) X handle, Thackeray can be seen questioning election officials about whether they had inspected the belongings of other political leaders, including CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, as well as PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. When informed by an official that these leaders had not yet visited the area, Thackeray insisted that their bags be inspected and a video recording of the process be sent to him.

डॉ. बाबासाहेबांनी लिहिलेल्या संविधानात सगळ्यांना समान न्याय हे आम्ही मानतोच.पण यंत्रणांना हाताशी धरुन लोकशाहीला पायदळी तुडवून हुकुमत गाजविणाऱ्या दिल्लीश्वरांनी मात्र त्या संविधानाचा सगळ्याच पातळ्यांवर अवमान करायचा ठरवलं आहे.
आज उद्धवसाहेबांच्या सामानाची वणी येथे काही… pic.twitter.com/XyM53sKOsy

— ShivSena - शिवसेना Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (@ShivSenaUBT_) November 11, 2024

Maharashtra Election: Uddhav Thackeray Questions Bag Check, 'No One Is Big Or Small In A Democracy'

Addressing a public meeting in Wani for the Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sanjay Derkar, Uddhav Thackeray expressed discontent over the incident and questioned whether similar inspections are carried out for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders.

He recounted that, upon arriving in Wani by helicopter, several election officials examined his belongings. While speaking to his party workers and supporters, he urged them to be vigilant, saying, "Check the pockets and identity cards of the officials who check you", news agency PTI reported.

However, Thackeray clarified he was not upset with the election authorities. "You are following your responsibility, and I will perform my responsibility," he stated. Nonetheless, he sought to know, “The way you inspected my bag, did you inspect the bags of Modi and Shah? Shouldn't the bags of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis be checked?”

Describing the inspections as unfair, he remarked, "All these useless things are going on. I don't consider it democratic. This can't be a democracy. In a democracy, no one is big or small."

Thackeray suggested that if the bags of senior leaders from the ruling alliance were not checked, then members of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would conduct their own inspections. He warned the police and Election Commission to refrain from intervening, emphasising that voters have the right to scrutinise leaders’ bags when they campaign.