Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), declaring that anyone who incites communal disharmony “cannot be a Hindu.” He also emphasized that his party’s version of Hindutva is “clean.”
Addressing a public meeting on the occasion of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s birth anniversary, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister challenged the BJP-led central government to conduct elections using ballot papers instead of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
“If you have any shame, keep EVMs aside and hold elections using ballot papers. Anyone who spreads Hindu-Muslim enmity cannot be a Hindu. Our Hindutva is clean,” Thackeray asserted.
Thackeray’s remarks come in the wake of a major defeat for Shiv Sena (UBT) in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections, where the party won only 20 seats. In contrast, the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance achieved a landslide victory, securing 235 seats.
Several opposition leaders from the INDIA bloc, including Thackeray, have raised concerns over the fairness of EVMs in elections. They have called for a return to the ballot paper system, questioning the transparency of the current process.
Earlier this month, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar dismissed these demands, labeling the proposal to return to paper ballots as “unwarranted and regressive.” He stated, “This is aimed at derailing the election process.”
This week, the Delhi High Court rejected an appeal challenging the use of EVMs in elections. The petitioner argued that Section 61-A of the relevant law requires the Election Commission of India to provide specific justifications for the use of EVMs in each constituency.
However, a Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela dismissed the appeal, stating, “We find no merit in the present appeal, and the same is dismissed.”
Thackeray’s criticism reflects growing tensions between opposition parties and the BJP over electoral processes and communal rhetoric. As debates around the use of EVMs and the state of Hindutva continue, these issues are likely to remain central in India’s political discourse ahead of future elections.