Checking of helicopters part of SOP: EC after Shiv Sena (UBT) claims Uddhav Thackeray's bags were frisked for second day in a row

Pic/X

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday alleged that the poll authorities frisked the bags of party chief Uddhav Thackeray for the second consecutive day.

Amid the allegations, the Election Commission, without naming the party or the leader, stated that helicopters and vehicles of all top leaders and campaigners are checked for suspicious items.

Earlier in the day, Thackeray's son and party legislator Aaditya retweeted a video in which poll officials are frisking the bags inside his chopper at Latur.

In his post, Aaditya has called the Election Commission (EC) the 'Entirely Compromised Commission' and claimed that the poll authorities are trying to delay his father from reaching his public meetings. He also questioned why the Prime Minister or other ministers are not frisked in Maharashtra.

Following his allegations, sources in EC, speaking to news agency PTI, clarified that the aircraft and helicopters of top leaders across political spectrum are checked as part of standard operating procedure (SOP).

According to PTI, they claimed that in the previous polls too, the planes and helicopters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah were checked.

"There have been strict SOPs 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, was checked in Bhagalpur district on April 24 while Shah's chopper was frisked in Katihar district on April 21 as per the SOP," a functionary pointed out.

The sources also recalled the statement of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar during the announcement of ongoing Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 during which he said directions have been given to the enforcement agencies to ensure that the helicopters of all the leaders are checked for a level-playing field.

According to PTI, Thackeray had on Monday claimed his bag was inspected by the election authorities when he arrived in Maharashtra's Yavatmal to campaign for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024.

The former chief minister asked if the election authorities would also inspect the bags of PM Narendra Modi and other senior leaders.

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) also posted on X a video which the former CM recorded while poll officials were checking his bags on his arrival in Yavatmal.

According to PTI, in the video, Thackeray can be heard asking officials if they had similarly inspected the bags of any other senior leader or if they would check PM Modi or Union Home Minister Shah's bags.

(With PTI inputs)