Mon Nov 11 15:10:47 UTC 2024: ## Uddhav Thackeray Claims Election Officials Checked His Bag, Questions Fairness
**Nanded, Maharashtra:** Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has alleged that his bag was inspected by election authorities upon his arrival in Yavatmal, Vidarbha, for campaigning ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Addressing a public meeting in Wani on Monday, Thackeray questioned the fairness of this action, demanding to know if the same scrutiny was applied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders from the ruling alliance.
“Upon arriving by helicopter, government officials inspected my bag,” Thackeray stated, urging his supporters to similarly check the belongings and identity cards of those conducting such inspections. While acknowledging the election authorities were simply doing their job, Thackeray questioned, “Did you check the bags of Mr. Modi and Mr. Shah?” He also enquired about the inspection of bags belonging to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis.
Describing the situation as “undemocratic behaviour”, Thackeray criticized such practices as senseless. He asserted, “This is not a democracy. In a democracy, no one is above or below anyone else.”
Furthermore, Thackeray suggested that if the election authorities failed to check the bags of senior ruling party leaders, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maha Vikas Aghadi workers would take it upon themselves to do so. He declared, “Police and the Election Commission should not interfere as voters also have the right to inspect the bags of senior leaders when they come to campaign.”
First Piper 