The Election Commission (EC) has responded to questions about the checking of bags belonging to Uddhav Thackeray’s team, asserting that strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) were followed to ensure a level playing field. The EC emphasised that these procedures are uniformly applied to all parties.
The Election Commission on Tuesday clarified that planes and helicopters of political leaders, including BJP figures, are routinely inspected by election officials as per established business procedures. This statement comes a day after Shiv Sena (UBT) criticized the inspection of Uddhav Thackeray’s bag in Yavatmal.
Previous checks of BJP leaders
According to the news agency PTI, sources noted that similar inspections were carried out in past elections, citing incidents involving BJP President JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah, whose helicopters were checked in Bihar as part of standard procedures.
Thackeray’s Reaction and public questions
Following the incident, Thackeray questioned whether senior leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi were receiving similar treatment and shared a video of the probe on social media. He made the statement publicly at a campaign event, calling for all political leaders to be treated equally under electoral law.
Also read | Uddhav Thackeray's bag checked again during Latur visit ahead of Maharashtra assembly elections
