Sena (UBT) says Opposition's 'Chalo Delhi' rally marks start of movement to restore democracy

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has described the 'Chalo Delhi' rally organised by the Opposition at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi as the beginning of a broad movement to rebuild democracy. The party also accused the ruling establishment of weakening election institutions.

In an editorial in Saamana, the party's mouthpiece, the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray said the rally was held to protest alleged electoral malpractice and discrepancies in the voter lists. The editorial says the rally reflects growing public discontent with the government led by Narendra Modi.

Leaders of several parties in the INDIA bloc attended the gathering. The Opposition alleges that the voter list was tampered with and that there are irregularities in the election process.

According to the editorial, the issue of discrepancies in voter lists came to the fore after disclosures made by a serving election commissioner. It also criticises Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that he sides with the Union government.

"'Vote chori' has now become a national slogan; it is the people's rallying cry. Irregularities in the voter lists, the deletion of the names of crores of voters, and working to help Modi and Shah in the name of SIR do not amount to anarchy. Rather, this is a people's revolt against the dreadful situation created by Modi, Shah and Gyanesh Kumar," the editorial says.

The party also alleged that the Chief Election Commissioner is acting as a "protective shield" for the Union government. It said institutional bias means that no one is held accountable.

The editorial says a large crowd gathered at the rally despite heavy police deployment and barricades in Delhi. It also says traffic was jammed on major roads as protesters made their way to Ramlila Maidan. The party criticised BJP leaders for trying to play down the size of the crowd. It argued that there is deep public anger over election-related issues, and that the crowd reflects it.

The Thackeray faction compared the political significance of the rally with the pro-democracy and anti-corruption movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan in the 1970s. The party said the gathering at Ramlila Maidan recalls the historic assembly of people during the Emergency, when Opposition leaders challenged the Union government.

The editorial also mentions a statement by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi had alleged that the Modi government has lost its moral mandate and remains in power on the strength of administrative and institutional support.

According to the editorial, Union Home Minister Amit Shah criticised the 'Chalo Delhi' campaign. He said it was an attempt to foster political anarchy. He defended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. Shah says the Opposition is trying to protect illegal foreign infiltrators. The editorial also notes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised Opposition leaders, alleging that they are trying to divide the country for short-term political gain.

The editorial of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) rejects this defence by the government. It questions the suggestion that the voters deleted in several states were foreign nationals.

The editorial concludes that the rally was a turning point in the Opposition's campaign against alleged electoral irregularities. The party said the demand that the dignity of the Constitution be upheld and that election institutions act responsibly is gaining strength from the gathering.