Uddhav Thackeray backs youth protests over voter deletions and warns of rising public anger

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has extended his support to youth-led protests against alleged electoral irregularities while criticising police actions against demonstrators.

Youth Protests And Police Action

Addressing the party's Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Tuesday, Mr. Thackeray accused the BJP-led government of suppressing dissent through police force. The demonstrations are led by the Cockroach Janta Party over the deletion of names from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision. Protesters are demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The agitation escalated after the detention of CJP leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka and restrictions on an October 16 demonstration in Delhi. Mr. Thackeray criticised RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's comments on maintaining civility during protests, asking how young people could maintain civility when treated harshly by police. Recalling his visit to protesters at Jantar Mantar, he noted that demonstrators had suffered head injuries, fractured limbs, and alleged assaults. He also cited accounts given to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi regarding police mistreatment.

Electoral Rolls And Government Policies

Questioning the removal of nearly 13 crore names during the revision exercise, Mr. Thackeray asked if the authorities considered all those affected to be foreigners. The Election Commission of India stated that the revision aims to remove ineligible or duplicate entries while protecting eligible voters and has ordered a special enrolment drive. Mr. Thackeray argued that youth grievances stem from years of economic hardship, citing a man who lost his livelihood after demonetisation and blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for financial difficulties over the past 12 years. He also criticised the Maharashtra government over farmers' distress assistance, the handling of law and order following a firing incident targeting actor Tiger Shroff, and police actions.

Context

Electoral roll revisions are regular administrative processes conducted by the Election Commission to update voter lists, but large-scale deletions often spark political disputes. Annual Dussehra rallies in Maharashtra serve as major platforms for political parties to outline their agendas and criticise opponents ahead of elections.