NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray had a heated exchange of words with government officials after his bags were searched as he arrived in Maharashtra's Yavatmal for campaigning ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
According to video footage released of the incident, Thackeray first asked the ECI officials to introduce themselves before launching into a series of questions, including whether they had conducted similar bag checks for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, home minister Amit Shah, chief minister Eknath Shinde, and Devendra Fadnavis.
"You are following your responsibility and I will perform my responsibility," Thackeray said.
"The way you inspected my bag, did you inspect bags of Modi and Shah?" He further pondered over whether bags of chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies, Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, be also checked," he added.
While addressing a rally at Wani in Yavatmal Thackeray also asked his party workers and voters to also inspect the pockets and identity cards of the officials who check them
"All these useless things are going on, I don't consider it as democratic, this can't be democracy. In a democracy, no one is big or small. The police and the Election Commission should not intervene as voters also have the right to check their bags (senior leaders of the ruling parties) when they come for campaigning," Thackeray said.
Earlier in May, election officials had searched Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde's luggage after his arrival at a helipad in Nashik.
However, no objectionable items were found in the CM's bags. "I carry this much luggage. It contains my clothes. I have brought bags even today," Shinde was heard telling reporters.
The 288-member Assembly of Maharashtra is set to go polls in a single phase on November 20, with counting of votes scheduled to take place on November 23.
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