Yavatmal: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has raised concerns over the bag inspections carried out by election authorities in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, questioning whether similar checks would be conducted on senior leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and others.
On Monday, Thackeray shared a video on X (formerly Twitter) showing election officials inspecting his bags upon his arrival in Yavatmal for the state’s upcoming assembly elections, due on November 20. In the footage, the former chief minister can be heard questioning the officials about their inspection procedures, particularly whether the bags of other senior leaders had been similarly checked.
Thackeray's Questions to Election Officials
In the video, Thackeray asks one of the officials, "What is your name? Where do you live?" After the official responds that he is from Amravati, Thackeray continues to inquire, "Whose bag did you check?" The official replies that they checked his bags and those of the others with him. Thackeray presses further, asking, "Other than mine, whose bags have you checked earlier?"
The official responds that Thackeray’s rally was the first to undergo such an inspection. Thackeray then asks pointedly, "Which other political party or leader have you checked before?" When the official says he has been posted in the area for four months, Thackeray retorts, "So, you’ve checked no one for four months, and I happen to be your first?"
Thackeray goes on to question whether the bags of other prominent political leaders, including Shinde, Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, or even Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, had been checked. The official reiterates that he is simply following orders. Thackeray, however, asserts, "It’s not about orders. Once they come, you check them and share the video with me."
He adds, "I’m recording you, and I should get a video of you searching Modi’s bag. I’ll release this clip," referring to the idea of releasing a video of officials inspecting the bags of top political figures.
Thackeray’s Address to the Public
Thackeray addressed the issue further while speaking at a public meeting in Wani, a town in Yavatmal, where he was campaigning for Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Sanjay Derkar. He described his arrival by helicopter, stating that multiple election officials had inspected his bags at the time.
He made it clear that he was not upset with the election authorities, but rather, was raising a concern about fairness in the process. "You are following your responsibility, and I will perform my responsibility," Thackeray remarked. However, he questioned the apparent selective nature of the checks. "The way you inspected my bag, did you inspect the bags of Modi and Shah?" he asked.
Thackeray further questioned why the bags of leaders from the ruling alliance, including CM Shinde, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, and Fadnavis, were not being checked. "Shouldn't the bags of these leaders be checked as well?" he asked, describing the situation as undemocratic. "In a democracy, no one is big or small," Thackeray added.
He went on to suggest that if the election authorities fail to carry out checks on senior leaders, then Shiv Sena (UBT) workers and those from the opposition MVA (Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi) should be allowed to inspect the bags. Thackeray argued that voters also have the right to check the bags of these leaders when they come to campaign, and urged that the police and Election Commission should not intervene in this process.
Call for Equal Treatment
Thackeray's remarks came as part of a broader critique of what he views as unequal treatment in the election process. He described the bag inspections as a "useless" and "undemocratic" practice, calling for equal scrutiny for all political figures, irrespective of their position or affiliation.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also called on election authorities to ensure that all political leaders, not just those from opposition parties, face the same level of scrutiny during the election campaign. "All these useless things are going on. This can't be a democracy," he concluded.