India
‘Bag-checked’: CM Shinde and Ajit Pawar post frisking videos as Uddhav Thackeray questions EK | India News – Times of India
NCP chief Ajit Pawar shared a video on I have fully cooperated and believe such measures are essential to ensure free and fair elections.”
“Let us all respect the law and support efforts to uphold the integrity of our democracy,” the NCP chief wrote.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s bags checked by the poll officials were also shared by Shiv Sena. The party said Shinde’s bags were checked at the Palghar police helipad when he went for the election campaign.
Ramdas Athawale’s party, an ally of the BJP, also shared a video of the party chief’s frisking video in Pune.
Earlier in the day, BJP shared a video of leader Devendra Fadnavis being checked at an airport, saying it was a normal procedure ahead of the elections.
Frisking by poll officials became the latest flashpoint in Maharashtra after UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray’s bags were checked twice in Yavatmal and Latur.
Uddhav criticized the EC and asked whether the election authorities would also inspect the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders.
However, the Election Commission sources told PTI that planes and helicopters of top leaders from across the political spectrum are being checked as part of the standard operating procedure.
They also said that in the previous polls, planes and helicopters of BJP president JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah were checked.
“Strict SOPs have been followed by enforcement agencies for a level playing field. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a similar issue was raised in Bihar and it was clarified that the helicopters of prominent leaders, including Nadda, were monitored in Bhagalpur district in April. 24 and Shah in Katihar district on April 21 were also checked as per SOP,” an official noted.
The sources also recalled Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar’s statement while announcing the ongoing Assembly elections that instructions have been issued to the enforcement agencies to ensure that the helicopters of all leaders are checked to ensure a level playing field.
