Mumbai, Sep 25: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Friday demanded the immediate cancellation of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, alleging that the voter roll verification process was being used to manipulate electoral outcomes.

He also called for a nationwide movement by opposition parties to bring back paper ballot voting instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

In a statement on X, Thackeray accused the ruling party of leveraging key institutional figures to maintain an “endless grip on power” and called upon all opposition parties across the country to unite for a massive agitation to bring back paper ballots.

Drawing a vivid mythological parallel, Thackeray remarked, “‘Sant Dnyaneshwar’ once made a buffalo recite the Vedas; now, the buffaloes in power are getting their version of the Vedas recited through this ‘Gyanesh.’”

Thackeray highlighted that CEC Gyanesh Kumar has remained silent over the past two days amid growing public and political scrutiny regarding internal rifts and administrative decisions within the Election Commission.

Calling the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise a “new weapon” deployed since 2025 to manipulate voter lists, Thackeray pointed out that serious concerns and irregularities are now being raised even from within the Election Commission itself.

Emphasising that electronic voting systems undermine public trust, Thackeray urged all political parties to join hands in a national movement demanding that all future elections be conducted strictly using traditional paper ballots.

“The SIR currently underway should be completely cancelled. An impartial probe must be conducted into the irregularities that have surfaced, and only then should a fresh verification process be undertaken,” he said.

Thackeray urged all opposition parties to unite against the exercise, arguing that electoral transparency could be ensured only through ballot paper voting.

“Only when we scrap this compromised process and move back to ballot paper voting will the absolute truth behind this long-standing hold on power finally be laid bare,” Thackeray added.

Thackeray’s statement adds fuel to an escalating political storm following recent reports of dissent within the Election Commission. Opposition parties have increasingly rallied around claims that the institutional independence of the electoral body has been compromised.

Mumbai, Sep 25: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Mumbai Crime Branch has arrested four more accused in connection with the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) Drug Inspector exam question paper leak case, taking the total number of arrests to 11.

The latest arrests include two candidates and two middlemen. The arrested candidates have been identified as Sajid Sande and Vijay Kinger. Sande was arrested from Sangli, while Kinger was apprehended from Buldhana.

The two middlemen, Sandeep Khalate and Bhairavnath Kadam, were arrested from Navi Mumbai, according to the investigation.

The probe has revealed violations of the confidentiality and fairness of the MPSC examination. The investigation is also examining allegations that official duties were misused to unlawfully access, withdraw and exchange question papers for financial gain.

Earlier, former Under Secretary Abhijit Lendve, Assistant Chamber Officers Visheshwar Nakate and Gopal Marathe, Kautilya Academy Director Praveen Patil, alleged middlemen Amrit Patil and Lokesh alias Gaurav Patil, and candidate Rituja Patil were arrested in connection with the case.

With the latest four arrests, the total number of accused arrested in the case has reached 11.

The SIT is conducting further investigations and is examining the possible involvement of other individuals in the alleged question paper leak.

The case had earlier triggered protests among MPSC aspirants. On September 7, thousands of candidates took to the streets in Pune, demanding greater transparency in the commission’s functioning and seeking the removal of its chairman, Vivek Bhimanwar.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the alleged paper leak had taken an unusual turn after a personal dispute reportedly led to information about the alleged leak reaching the MPSC.

According to the Crime Branch, Lokesh alias Gaurav Patil, 24, was himself a recipient of the leaked question paper and had obtained it from his then-girlfriend, Rituja Patil, before the March 22 examination.

Police allege that after the two separated, Patil approached the MPSC and informed the commission about the alleged leak. According to the investigation, he was concerned that Rituja Patil would move on after securing a government job.

The Crime Branch is continuing its probe to establish the complete chain through which the question paper was accessed and circulated, as well as the roles played by the candidates, alleged middlemen and other individuals involved in the case.

Mumbai, Sep 24: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI) and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing the electoral body of functioning like a “domestic servant” and eroding public faith in constitutional institutions.

Citing media investigative reports, the Thackeray camp, in an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, highlighted severe internal dissension within the Election Commission. It revealed that fellow Election Commissioners Sukhbir Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over the last ten months against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar’s arbitrary and “mafia-like” style of functioning.

The editorial alleged that CEC Gyanesh Kumar repeatedly ignored these objections and continued to unilaterally add or delete voters’ names to benefit the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Left with no alternative, the two dissenting commissioners reportedly escalated the matter directly to the Cabinet Secretariat, thereby alerting the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) about the internal crisis within the poll body.

The editorial levelled serious allegations regarding the Special Summary Revision (SSR) process, terming it a systemic scam. “Approximately 13 crore voters have reportedly been disenfranchised across India under the guise of the SSR process, including prominent citizens and notable personalities. Over two crore voter names were allegedly removed from Maharashtra’s electoral rolls.

The editorial further pointed out an abrupt increase of 42 lakh votes during the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections, which facilitated a clear path for the BJP-led alliance’s victory,” claimed the editorial.

The editorial further stated that similar targeted deletions of lakhs of voters were allegedly carried out during the Assembly elections in West Bengal and Bihar. Directly targeting the Union Home Minister, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena described Amit Shah as the principal “mastermind” behind the constitutional degradation, while labelling former CEC Rajiv Kumar and current CEC Gyanesh Kumar as “constitutional mafias” and “executioners of democracy”.

It further accused the ECI leadership of undermining democracy by facilitating party splits and handing over original party names and symbols to breakaway factions.

The editorial asserted that the public has completely lost faith in constitutional bodies like the Supreme Court and the Election Commission.

Demanding immediate intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the editorial stated, “As long as individuals like Amit Shah and Gyanesh Kumar remain in power, the Constitution of India holds no meaning. The Prime Minister must sack them immediately – only then can the country be saved. Since Shah and Kumar will not resign on their own, removing them is the only choice left before PM Modi,” it remarked.

The editorial praised opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, and Tejashwi Yadav for consistently speaking out against electoral irregularities, while hailing Commissioners Sandhu and Joshi for bringing internal wrongdoing to light.