Mumbai: A political storm is brewing in election-bound Maharashtra, ignited by Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray’s claims of his bags being scrutinised by election authorities during his campaign visits. The controversy has taken a new turn with the revelation that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s helicopter was also checked by poll officials on his Maharashtra visit.
According to the reports, Gadkari’s helicopter was also subject to a similar security check in Latur.
Earlier in the day, Thackeray, the former Chief Minister, alleges that his bags were inspected on both Monday and Tuesday after his helicopter landed in Yavatmal and Latur districts respectively. Videos of the bag checks were posted on social media by his party, sparking outrage and accusations of political vendetta.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief publicly questioned the authorities about their procedures and demanded to know why he was subjected to such checks while Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was also visiting Maharashtra for election campaigning, was not. Thackeray’s remarks, questioning the officials’ allegiance to Maharashtra, added fuel to the fire, intensifying the political drama.
Thackeray later said, “I am not angry with you, but the same law should be applied to Narendra Modi when he is coming for election campaign.” He asked the officials, “Are you all Maharashtrians?” When they answered in the affirmative, he said, “We should live and die for Maharashtra and not do the jobs of other states.” The election authorities later confirmed that nothing objectionable was found in Thackeray’s bags.
