17 October,2026 10:42 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Speaking at the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Patrakar Parishad, Uddhav Thackeray questioned the deployment of thousands of police personnel in Delhi during the protests. File Pic
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday backed senior advocate Prashant Bhushan's call for "regime change", saying a government that curbs people's right to express themselves through voting and protests needs to be changed, reported the PTI.
Uddhav Thackeray criticised the BJP-led Centre over alleged police brutality against protesters in Delhi and said the Opposition was standing up against such actions.
"Police are assaulting youth and women, tearing their clothes. Such a regime needs to be buried," he said, referring to alleged violence against people participating in protests called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and other parties in the national capital, the news agency reported.
Speaking at the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Patrakar Parishad, Uddhav Thackeray questioned the deployment of thousands of police personnel in Delhi during the protests.
"Have thousands of police personnel been deployed in Delhi to play dandia?" he asked, referring to the ongoing Navratri celebrations and the alleged use of sticks and batons against protesters, according to the PTI.
Thackeray also took a swipe at the BJP over media reports of a cockroach effigy being burnt during Dussehra celebrations.
"Those who claim to have brought Ram are scared of cockroaches," he said.
"We are here to change the regime," Thackeray asserted, as per the PTI.
Uddhav Thackeray's remarks come as the Opposition's criticism of the Centre continue over the handling of protests and its concerns about the right to dissent.
Former Maharashtra CM's comments came after Bhushan, addressing a press conference with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke on Thursday, said that spreading "disaffection" against a government was not a crime in a democracy.
Bhushan had said the struggle was now "really for a regime change", drawing criticism from ruling party leaders, including those from the BJP.
He had also clarified that the Opposition was currently fighting to ensure that elections were conducted properly.
"The government alleges that the Opposition wants a regime change. We are currently fighting to ensure that elections are conducted properly. But if this kind of brutality continues, there will certainly be a regime change," Bhushan had said, the news agency reported.
(with PTI inputs)
