Sena vs Sena clash in Uddhav Thackeray bag check row
What's the story
A routine inspection of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's luggage in Yavatmal has triggered a political row.
The incident occurred as Thackeray arrived for a campaign rally ahead of the upcoming Assembly election.
His Shiv Sena faction has since asked if leaders from the ruling party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, undergo similar checks.
Bias allegations
Shiv Sena leader questions impartiality of luggage checks
Sanjay Raut, a senior leader of Thackeray's faction, openly asked if the bags of Modi, Shah, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were checked too.
Responding to these charges, Krishna Hegde of the Shinde-led Sena said Shinde's bags were checked during his campaign in Nashik earlier this year.
Hegde accused Raut of making "wild allegations" and maintained there was no bias in the EC's actions.
Rally address
Thackeray addresses luggage check controversy at rally
At a rally in Wani, Thackeray took on the issue, asking if the election authorities would check bags of senior leaders of the ruling alliance in the same way.
"You are following your responsibility and I will perform my responsibility," he said, but asked if Modi and Shah were also checked.
The former CM said if ruling alliance leaders' bags aren't checked, his party workers would do it.
Election backdrop
Maharashtra Assembly election amid political tension
The Maharashtra Assembly election will be held on November 20 and results will be declared on November 23.
The political atmosphere is charged as Thackeray's Sena faction joins hands with Congress and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party against the Bharatiya Janata Party and factions led by Shinde and Ajit Pawar.