Thackeray brothers lead Mumbai march against CEC over SIR; FIR registered against organisers
Mumbai : Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray led a joint protest march toward the BMC headquarters on Sunday, targeting Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and raising questions over the poll panel’s functioning.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police have registered an offence at Azad Maidan Police Station against the organisers of a joint protest march.
He claimed that the names of “13 crore people” had been deleted from electoral rolls across the country and alleged that voters had also been excluded in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu.
“I have a question over the process of appointment of the Election Commissioners.”He criticised the removal of the Chief Justice of India from the committee involved in the appointment process and questioned the appointment of Gyanesh Kumar as Chief Election Commissioner.
“The first question is how was Gyanesh Kumar appointed?” Thackeray said.
He also alleged that the powers being exercised through the Election Commission were affecting citizens’ voting rights.
“Does the Home Ministry have the power to cancel a person’s citizenship rights? They are using that power through Gyanesh Kumar, and that is why we do not want Gyanesh Kumar,” he said.
“Hitler was also a dictator like this, but ultimately, he had to shoot himself. A similar situation could arise in this country as well. Those acting arbitrarily should keep this in mind. We will not rest until he is brought out onto the streets and punished within the framework of the law,” he said taking jibe at the Central leadership.
Raj Thackeray called for cancellation of the SIR exercise in Maharashtra.”Our demand is that the entire SIR conducted in Maharashtra should be cancelled,” he said.
He questioned the circumstances under which the revision exercise was undertaken.”The law says that SIR is conducted if an emergency situation arises,” he said.
Raj Thackeray also alleged that a large number of voters were added during the Maharashtra Assembly elections and claimed that two crore voters were now being removed through SIR.
“Forty to sixty lakh voters were added during the Assembly elections, and power was captured through this. And now, through SIR, two crore people are being removed. Who are these two crore voters?” he asked.
“I appeal to all political parties to go to Delhi and demand that the SIR should be cancelled. Voting machines should be discontinued, and elections should be conducted using ballot papers,” he said.
The joint protest comes amid an ongoing political controversy over the SIR exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission. The Opposition has alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, while the Election Commission has maintained that the revision process is aimed at updating and cleaning electoral rolls and has mechanisms for claims and objections.
Uddhav Thackeray slammed the BJP and accused it of “vote chori”.
“Earlier, it was India Against Corruption, and now it is India Against Vote Chors,” he said.
Thackeray asked how many Bangladeshis had actually been detected through the SIR process and said the responsibility for border security rests with the Centre.
“Show us how many Bangladeshis have been caught. The borders are under the control of the Centre. Then how did they enter the country?” he asked.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar backed the joint protest march being led by Thackeray brothers, saying the demand was not limited to the city and that similar concerns were being raised across Maharashtra.
Addressing a press conference, Pawar said political parties should come together to find a solution to alleged irregularities in the electoral process and take action against those found responsible.
“This demand is not limited to Mumbai. It is also being raised in Pune and Nagpur, and in several other parts of the state. The state government is going through the SIR process. When all concerned political parties come together to find a solution to this issue and take a decision regarding those who have committed irregularities, we will stand with them and extend our support,” Pawar said.
NCP-SCP leader Naseem Siddiqui, however, claimed that the march was organised by the INDIA bloc and his party workers also participated in the march.
“This rally was organised by the INDIA bloc. It saw massive participation not just from the Thackeray brothers but also from Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the rally was a great success. This was daylight robbery. Ever since Gyanesh Kumar took charge, the entire election process has been tainted by dishonesty and should be annulled. At the very least, the elections in Bihar and Bengal, as well as the Maharashtra Assembly election, should be cancelled, and future elections should be conducted using ballot papers instead of EVMs,” he said.
Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja also backed the joint protest march, saying the protests reflected growing public anger and that Kumar “must step down.”
Calling the rally “encouraging and inspiring”, Raja said protests are taking place beyond the national capital and that people were expressing their anger and concerns.
“This is a very encouraging and inspiring rally because it conveys a strong message. It is not something happening in the national capital, Delhi. The protests are all over, and people are expressing their anger, their agony. Ganesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner, does not respect the people’s anger and demands. What is happening in Mumbai shows that the political forces and social forces will come together and express their united anger against Ganesh Kumar. He must understand; he must step down,” Raja told ANI.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai said the joint protest march led by party chief Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray is a reflection of public anger over the Election Commission’s actions.
Speaking to ANI on Sunday, Desai said two commissioners from the Election Commission had raised objections to developments that, according to him, were contrary to democratic principles.
“The Election Commission comprises three commissioners. Two of the commissioners raised objections regarding these developments, which ran counter to democratic principles. They specifically flagged the objectionable nature of ‘Form 6,’ which forced ordinary individuals to constantly question whether or not they were recognised as citizens of this country, causing them deep anxiety. Despite their objections and insistence that the measure was flawed and should be withdrawn, their concerns were disregarded and ignored,” he said.
Desai said the consequences of these developments were now visible in the form of public resentment and that the joint protest was an expression of that anger.
“The consequences of these actions are evident today in the widespread public resentment. The public’s anger regarding this is being voiced here today. Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have both stated that accountability must be accepted for the way this situation has unfolded,” he added.
Reacting to the march, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi said, “It is not just Raj Thackeray; the entire country—including the Samajwadi Party and all other secular political parties—is saying that something is amiss. They are claiming there are glitches in the machines or that the Election Commission is engaging in wrongdoing… He (Gyanesh Kumar) will have to face imprisonment.”
