Mumbai, Sep 29: In a bid to signal a unified front against the Election Commission of India (ECI), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday addressed a joint press conference to unveil the blueprint for a public protest march scheduled for October 4.

The demonstration is directed against the ECI, led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accusing the body of functioning as an “extension of the ruling party” at the Centre and deceiving voters through the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

Outlining the logistics and roadmap for the October 4 rally, Raj Thackeray announced that the protest is structured as a non-partisan movement representing the collective voice of citizens.

Protesters will assemble at 10:00 a.m. at the Richardson & Cruddas premises in Byculla. The march will move from Byculla toward Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.. The march will terminate near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters where a stage will be set up to convert the rally into a public meeting.

“We have been consistently raising concerns over EVM manipulation and electoral malpractices for years. Back in 2017–18, I met several political leaders regarding these issues. This march stands against the humiliation of voters and the subversion of our electoral integrity. Whatever we have to say, we will deliver directly from the stage on October 4,” Raj Thackeray stated.

Emphasising that the demonstration transcends individual party politics, the Thackeray cousin brothers laid down strict guidelines for participants.

They said neither the MNS nor Shiv Sena (UBT) will carry party flags or banners. All marchers will carry exclusively the Indian National Flag to underscore the fight for democracy and the Constitution.

Rather than sending formal letters, the leadership will personally place phone calls to all Opposition parties, inviting them to join the movement, said Raj Thackeray adding that leaders from ruling parties who oppose the poll panel’s functioning are also welcome on stage.

Responding to allegations from the BJP which claimed that the Opposition is manufacturing “fabricated stories” regarding CEC Gyanesh Kumar to blame the poll panel for political failures — Raj Thackeray dismissed the ruling party’s defence with a sharp Marathi idiom. “If our protest is directed strictly at the Election Commission, why is the BJP feeling the heat? As the Marathi saying goes, ‘Khai tyala khavkhave (guilty conscience needs no accuser)’,” he said.

Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray said that there is no competition on who organises the protest march against the CEC and the malfunctioning of the poll panel. They were replying to a question on a nationwide protest organised by the Congress party on the issue.

Raj Thackeray added that if residents of a housing society hold such a protest, it is welcome.

The joint call for action follows a high-level meeting with Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam regarding irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Over the weekend, Raj Thackeray took to social media platform X to attack the poll panel, alleging that under CEC Gyanesh Kumar, the ECI has acted like a “branch office” of the ruling establishment to perpetrate massive voter fraud.

The upcoming October 4 demonstration marks a significant reunion of the Thackeray brothers on a shared political stage, setting the stage for a major political confrontation in Mumbai ahead of key electoral battles.

Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray announced his full support for the agitation by Cockroach Janata Party on October 2 in Mumbai against CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

Mumbai, Sep 29: In a sharp critique of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s recent appeal urging citizens to cut back on personal celebrations and donate their savings towards drought relief, the Shiv Sena(UBT) on Tuesday questioned the state administration’s intent and priorities.

Terming the government’s approach “picking pennies from empty pockets”, the Thackeray camp in an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Samaana’, asserted that asking a financially strained public to fund disaster management is both insensitive and inadequate.

The editorial drew attention to the escalating agrarian crisis across Maharashtra, noting that four farmers had died by suicide within a span of just two days across Parbhani, Yavatmal, Solapur, and Hingoli districts due to severe drought-induced debt and hardship. It warned that without immediate, direct state assistance, drought-affected areas risk turning into “graveyards”, placing the entire responsibility for sustaining these communities squarely on the shoulders of the Chief Minister and his administration.

Directly challenging CM Fadnavis, the Thackeray camp stated that instead of asking common citizens — who are already grappling with inflation and economic stress — to cut down on small family functions like weddings and naming ceremonies, the government should crack down on internal corruption, kickbacks, and contractor commissions.

The editorial pointed to alleged financial irregularities in various state infrastructure initiatives, citing the controversial coastal land sales in the Konkan region and heavy fund flows around the Shaktipeeth Expressway.

It further claimed that public funds are routinely diverted to favour contractors, urging the Chief Minister to curb these leakages to generate drought relief capital rather than asking the public to scrimp.

“The state government has become a government of commission-agents and contractors. There is looting everywhere. Inventing unnecessary projects to divert the treasury to contractors and warm one’s own pockets — even if the Chief Minister stops this loot, it will benefit the drought-affected,” remarked the Thackeray camp.

Taking aim at political rivalries and horse-trading allegations, the editorial called on the ruling alliance to redirect political expenditures towards rural distress. It suggested that funds allegedly set aside for political defection and electioneering be diverted immediately to help affected farmers.

Furthermore, the editorial proposed several key measures for the government to generate substantial drought funds. It called upon the government to ensure pending instalments meant for political allies are transferred directly into drought relief funds and mandate substantial contributions from major Mumbai builders, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) developers, and senior bureaucrats whose revenues remain high.

The editorial urged the state government to request an allocation of Rs 2,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore from the unutilised balance in the PM CARES Fund to support Maharashtra’s agricultural sector.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, in conclusion, emphasised that symbolic donations from ministers, such as giving up a single month’s official salary, amount to empty gestures given the vast resources controlled by ruling politicians. It urged the leadership to demonstrate true courage by shaking down the thriving nexus of corrupt officials, contractors, and political middlemen to secure genuine relief for the state’s 11 crore citizens.

Mumbai, Sep 29: Taking advantage of the massive crowds gathered for Ganesh Visarjan on Anant Chaturdashi, gangs of thieves stole mobile phones and gold jewellery from devotees across Mumbai. Police have arrested 18 accused, including two women and a minor, in connection with the thefts, police said on Tuesday.

More than 200 complaints related to lost and stolen mobile phones were received at various police stations during the Ganesh Visarjan celebrations. Police registered official complaints involving 192 lost or stolen mobile phones, while 10 separate cases were filed in connection with the theft of mobile phones and gold chains.

Millions of devotees gathered in areas including Lalbaug, Parel and Girgaon Chowpatty to bid farewell to Lord Ganesha. Police said pickpocketing gangs, comprising both local members and suspects from outside the state, took advantage of the huge crowds during the immersion procession of Lalbaugcha Raja in central Mumbai.

Several devotees reported that their mobile phones had been stolen from their pockets, while gold chains were snatched from their necks. Women’s purses were also targeted during the crowded processions. Preliminary investigations have indicated the involvement of organised gangs in the thefts, with women and minors being used to carry out some of the crimes.

Two women were reportedly caught red-handed with stolen belongings while attempting to steal purses from devotees during the immersion procession, also known as the Mirvanuk.

Following the increase in theft complaints, the Mumbai Police deployed teams of plainclothes personnel along the immersion routes. Suspects were detained and questioned as part of the investigation. So far, police have recovered 14 smartphones and seven gold chains from the accused.

Police are now searching for other alleged accomplices of the arrested suspects and are conducting further investigations to recover the remaining stolen mobile phones and other valuables.

Meanwhile, footage from more than 100 CCTV cameras installed along the Ganesh Visarjan routes in Lalbaug, Chinchpokli, Bharatmata Junction and Girgaon Chowpatty is being examined to identify other suspects and establish their movements.

Police officials said the Mumbai Police Cyber Cell and Technical Analysis Branch are also using the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal to trace stolen mobile phones through their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers.