Uddhav Thackeray targets BJP, ECI at Mumbai rally (Img: IANS)
Mumbai: Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Election Commission of India (ECI), questioning the functioning of democratic institutions during a rally in Mumbai.
Taking aim at Prime Minister 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 the 'Garjana Morcha' in Mumbai, organised jointly by Shiv Sena(UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray accused the Central government and the ECI of enabling systemic electoral fraud and weakening democratic institutions.
He described the demonstration as a "nationwide crusade to safeguard India’s constitutional fabric and civil liberties", while warning that growing public resentment could spill onto the streets if, according to him, institutional overreach continues.
Thackeray alleged that 13 crore voters had been erased from electoral rolls across the country. "That figure equals the entire population of Maharashtra. Is this arbitrary deletion acceptable to you?" he asked the gathering.
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He accused the authorities of 'stealthily purging" large sections of the electorate and claimed that nearly 13 crore voters nationwide, including two crore in Maharashtra, had either been unaccounted for or disenfranchised. He further claimed that 70 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu and 30 lakh in West Bengal had been removed.
Referring to West Bengal, Thackeray said several voter applications that had earlier been declared invalid were recently restored ahead of the upcoming by-elections. He also questioned the timing of Supreme Court hearings on petitions related to the issue.
"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.
Thackeray also questioned the credibility and appointment process of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, particularly the decision to remove the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the panel responsible for selecting the CEC.
He pointed out that the three-member panel now comprises 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.
Thackeray also sought to turn the BJP's political narrative on its head, arguing that the party had once campaigned against alleged corruption under Congress governments but was now facing growing public anger.
He said public sentiment across the country had shifted towards an "India Against Vote-Chor" (India Against Vote Thieves) movement.
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Attacking the BJP's record in government, Thackeray said, "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.
Turning to the law and order situation in Maharashtra, Thackeray referred to the recent murder of Shiv Sena office-bearer Pradeep Purnekar in Thane and questioned the role of the state police and Home Department.
"Where are your police forces and Home Minister now? Is this your version of Hindutva?" he asked.
He further argued that the terms "BJP" and "administration" had become contradictory, alleging that the government was being driven by political vengeance.
Invoking Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray said his father had 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.
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Issuing a direct warning to the ruling establishment, 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, which stretched from Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters at CSMT, drew thousands of supporters. The participants carried only the Indian Tricolour and did not use party flags.
The rally brought together several opposition parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Congress, Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP), Left parties, MNS and Shiv Sena(UBT) cadres.
The joint mobilisation marks a significant political show of opposition unity in Maharashtra, with rival political factions coming together to target the Election Commission and raise concerns over the electoral process.
