Mumbai, Oct 4 (IANS) Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday launched direct attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI) during a rally in Mumbai.
Referring to PM Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, Thackeray said, “When he first became the Prime Minister, he announced Make in India. We supported that vision. But if you are manufacturing a dictator under Make in India, we stand here today to bury that dictatorship. Everything else under Make in India is fine, but if you attempt to become a dictator, consider your authoritarianism buried.”
Addressing ‘Garjana Morcha’ in Mumbai, organised by the Shiv Sena(UBT) with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray launched a scathing attack on the Central government and the ECI over allegations of systemic electoral fraud and the erosion of democratic institutions. He framed the demonstration as a “nationwide crusade to safeguard India’s constitutional fabric and civil liberties”, warning that public resentment could soon spill over into the streets if institutional overreach continues.
Raising concerns over electoral roll manipulations, Uddhav Thackeray alleged that 13 crore voters have been erased from electoral lists across the country. “That figure equals the entire population of Maharashtra. Is this arbitrary deletion acceptable to you?” he asked the protesting crowd.
He accused the authorities of ‘stealthily purging” vast voter bases. He pointed out that nearly 13 crore voters nationwide, including two crore in Maharashtra alone, have been unaccounted for or disenfranchised. He further noted that 70 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu and 30 lakh voters in West Bengal were removed.
Pointing to West Bengal, Uddhav Thackeray noted that several invalidated voter applications were recently deemed valid right before the upcoming byelections. Criticising the legal delays, he questioned why urgent petitions filed in the Supreme Court face scheduled hearings just a day before polling. “If the hearing takes place on the 5th and polling is on the 6th, how can reinstated voters exercise their rights? The ruling regime has captured every independent institution,” he alleged.
Questioning the credibility and appointment process of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Uddhav Thackeray criticised the legislative removal of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the selection panel. He highlighted that the three-member panel now consists of the Prime Minister, a Cabinet Minister — Union Home Minister Amit Shah — and the Leader of the Opposition. “With Home Minister Amit Shah on the committee, it creates an automatic 2-1 majority for the ruling government. Despite formal dissent from the Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, Gyanesh Kumar was appointed without waiting for scheduled court hearings. His appointment is fundamentally biased,” he alleged.
Remarking on the political narrative, Uddhav Thackeray asserted that while the BJP once built a narrative against alleged Congress corruption, current public sentiment across the nation has shifted to an “India Against Vote-Chor” (India Against Vote Thieves) movement.
Denouncing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Uddhav Thackeray claimed the party is incapable of governance. “Governance and the BJP are polar opposites. What you are running is not an administration — it is sheer political retribution,” he charged, estimating that verifying the remaining disputed voter applications at the current pace would take nearly 146 months.
Questioning the law and order state under the ruling administration in Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray cited the recent murder of Shiv Sena office-bearer Pradeep Purnekar in Thane. “Where are your police forces and Home Minister now? Is this your version of Hindutva?” he asked. He added that the terms “BJP” and “administration” have become contradictory, characterising the current administration as driven by political vengeance.
Invoking Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, he noted that Balasaheb consistently rejected such a “miserable and vengeful” version of democracy. “Where is your Hindutva government when crimes against women and citizens are rising across the nation?” he asked.
Issuing a direct warning to the ruling establishment, Uddhav Thackeray said: “You may have captured institutions and administrations, but the streets belong to the people. A day will come when you will find it difficult to even walk these public streets.”
The protest march, stretching from Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters at CSMT, saw thousands of supporters marching with only the Indian Tricolour, strictly eschewing party flags.
The rally united a broad coalition of opposition parties, with participation from the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Congress, Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP), Left parties, along with MNS and Shiv Sena(UBT) cadres.
The high-profile joint rally signals a major political escalation in Maharashtra, bringing opposing political factions together to challenge the Election Commission.
–IANS
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