Shiv Sena (UBT) hails 'Chalo Delhi' rally as beginning of democratic revolution against BJP

The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray has described the oppositionled lsquoChalo Delhirsquo rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi as the beginning of a wider movement for democratic restoration accusing the ruling establishment of undermining electoral institutionsIn an editorial published in the partys mouthpiece Saamana the Uddhav Thackerayled faction said the rally organised to protest alleged electoral malpractices and discrepancies in voter lists reflected growing public discontent with the Narendra Modiled governmentThe gathering brought together leaders from several INDIA bloc parties with the opposition alleging voterlist manipulation and irregularities in the electoral processlsquoVote theftrsquo becomes oppositions central demandThe editorial alleged that concerns over voterlist discrepancies had gained prominence following disclosures by serving election commissioners It also criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar accusing him of favouring the central governmentVotetheft has now become a national slogan it is the declaration of the people Scams in the voter lists the deletion of crores of voters names and working to assist Modi and Shah under the guise of SIR do not constitute anarchy On the contrary this is a peoples rebellion against the terrible situation created by Modi Shah and Gyanesh Kumar the editorial saidThe party also accused the chief election commissioner of acting as a protective shield for the central government alleging that institutional bias was preventing accountabilityRally turnout and security arrangements highlightedThe editorial said the rally drew a large gathering despite heavy police deployment and barricading in the national capital It claimed that congestion was reported on major roads as demonstrators arrived at Ramlila MaidanThe party also criticised attempts by BJP leaders to downplay the turnout arguing that the gathering reflected significant public anger over electoral issuesHowever the editorials claims about the size of the crowd and the political impact of the rally were not independently established in the supplied reportParty draws comparison with JP movementThe Thackeray faction compared the rallys political significance with the prodemocracy and anticorruption movement led by Jayaprakash Narayan in the 1970sIt said the gathering at Ramlila Maidan recalled the historic mobilisation associated with the Emergency period when opposition leaders challenged the central governmentThe editorial also referred to Congress leader Rahul Gandhis remarks on the 2024 general elections in which he alleged that the Modiled government had lost its moral mandate and remained in power with administrative and institutional supportBJP leaders defend SIR reject opposition allegationsThe editorial said Union Home Minister Amit Shah had criticised the lsquoChalo Delhirsquo mobilisation describing it as an attempt to promote political anarchy Shah also defended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision SIR of electoral rolls arguing that the opposition was seeking to protect illegal foreign infiltratorsIt further cited Prime Minister Narendra Modis criticism of opposition leaders who he accused of attempting to divide the country for shortterm political gainsThe Shiv Sena UBT editorial rejected the governments defence questioning the suggestion that deleted voters across several states were foreign nationalsThackeray faction calls for democratic restorationThe editorial concluded that the rally had marked a turning point in the oppositions campaign against alleged electoral irregularitiesThe party said the gathering represented a growing demand for constitutional integrity and accountability from electoral institutions