Amid ongoing controversy regarding the bag check of Shiv Sena UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray, election officials on Wednesday conducted similar checks on Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Union Minister Ramdas Athawale.
#WATCH | Maharashtra: CM Eknath Shinde’s bags were checked at Palghar Police ground helipad where he reached for the election campaign.
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— ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2024
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CM Eknath Shinde’s Bags Checked at Palghar
Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde’s bags were inspected at Palghar Police Ground helipad as he arrived for his campaign for the November 20 elections. In a video, Shinde can be heard mentioning that his bags only contained clothes, adding, “Let them check, they are doing their duty,” while taking a jibe at Thackeray. Union Minister Ramdas Athawale also had his bags checked after arriving in Pune by helicopter.
Uddhav Thackeray’s Reaction to Bag Check in Yavatmal and Latur
Earlier, on Monday and Tuesday, election officials had checked Uddhav Thackeray’s bags upon his arrival in Yavatmal and Latur, respectively. Following the inspection, Thackeray humorously asked the officials, “How many people have you searched so far?” When informed he was the first, he replied, “I am the first customer then.”
Thackeray also questioned the officials about their names, positions, and whether they had checked the bags of other prominent political leaders, including CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He even requested to see the video of the bag check of these senior leaders.
Also Read: SC Tells Ajit Pawar Team To Avoid Using Sharad Pawar’s Photos During Election Campaign
Devendra Fadnavis Criticizes Thackeray’s Protests
Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis criticized Thackeray, suggesting that he was unnecessarily diverting attention by protesting the bag checks.
Election Commission’s Clarification on SOPs for Bag Checks
Sources from the Election Commission clarified that the checking of bags, aircraft, and helicopters of top political leaders is a standard operating procedure (SOP) during elections. They mentioned that even the planes and helicopters of BJP leaders such as BJP President J P Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah had undergone checks in previous polls.
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