Mumbai, Sep 28 (IANS): The Shiv Sena(UBT) on Monday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of eroding democratic institutions and using key constitutional bodies for political gain.
The criticism follows media reports which uncovered severe internal rifts within the Election Commission over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The party said that there has been rising public anger and political friction culminating in widespread demonstrations across major Indian cities, following revelations surrounding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
Strongly condemning the Chief Election Commissioner’s alleged bias, the Thackeray camp in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, described the current situation as a direct assault on Indian democracy.
The Saamana editorial asserted that constitutional offices are being used as partisan instruments, alleging that 13 crore voters were systematically disenfranchised in key states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Bihar as part of a strategy to influence election outcomes.
“The Chief Election Commissioner’s actions have compromised the neutrality of an autonomous institution. Rather than acting as a neutral arbiter of democracy, the Election Commission is functioning under political influence,” the editorial stated, calling for the immediate resignation and accountability of top officials.
The editorial said that controversy has triggered a wave of public outrage. “In New Delhi, thousands of protesters, student groups, and political activists gathered at Jantar Mantar over the weekend, demanding the resignation of CEC Gyanesh Kumar,” it claimed.
According to the editorial, heavy police and security personnel surrounded the protest site and key areas in Central Delhi, making several arrests as demonstrators raised slogans against the government. Protests were also witnessed in Mumbai, with demonstrators gathering near metro stations, railway platforms, and public places to voice their anger over the reported electoral malpractices and administrative overreach.
“Tensions mounted further after former Kerala Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson disclosed that CEC Gyanesh Kumar — while still serving as a senior bureaucrat — had attempted to persuade him to join the BJP, contest the Lok Sabha elections on a party ticket from Kerala, and promised a central ministerial berth if he won,” stated the editorial.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena said that the political fallout has united opposition forces. West Bengal former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reportedly reached out to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Left parties, urging a united front under the INDIA bloc to formulate a coordinated strategy against the government and demand transparency in the electoral process, it added.
While BJP spokespersons and leaders from BJP-ruled states defended the Election Commission and dismissed the allegations as political rhetoric, opposition leaders insisted that public discontent was rapidly reaching a tipping point. The editorial concluded by warning that unless constitutional integrity is restored, widespread public unrest will continue to challenge the government’s legitimacy.
