Fadnavis attacks Thackeray cousins over Maharashtra protest march
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has criticised a protest led by Uddhav and Raj Thackeray in Mumbai, calling it an attempt to recover political ground. He also dismissed their claims about the Election Commission by comparing the leaders to the film character Ghajini.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has criticised a protest march led by Uddhav and Raj Thackeray in Mumbai, describing it as an effort by the cousins to recover political ground after being rejected by voters. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Fadnavis said the march had attracted less support than expected. He characterised it as an expression of frustration directed at the Election Commission and said attendance had been limited despite the publicity surrounding the event.
The protest was organised by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray. They marched from Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters in south Mumbai and sought the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar, along with Jayant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, Jitendra Awhad and Anil Deshmukh of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), also took part, according to The Hindu.
Fadnavis used the Hindi film “Ghajini” to attack the protesters’ argument. He said the leaders had become like the film’s protagonist, who loses his memory every 15 minutes, and argued that their claims did not align with the election timeline. He said Kumar became Chief Election Commissioner in 2025, Maharashtra’s elections were held in 2024 and the special intensive revision, or SIR, began in 2026.
“How can the SIR of 2026 and the person who became Chief Election Commissioner in 2025 affect the 2024 elections?” he asked. The chief minister further accused the Thackerays of making false claims and said they were venting their frustration against the Election Commission after voters had rejected them. His remarks were reported on October 5, following the march the previous day.
The source material does not include a response from Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray or the Election Commission to Fadnavis’s allegations. It records the protest’s demand and the chief minister’s criticism of the leaders and their reasoning.
This independently written report is based on information supplied by the named publisher. Vertrix News has not independently verified the source report.