Sena name and symbol row: Time to dissolve EC, says Uddhav Thackeray

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Monday (February 20) demanded the dissolution of the Election Commission of India (EC), which ruled that the Eknath Shinde-led faction is the real Shiv Sena.

“The name (Shiv Sena) and symbol (bow and arrow) of our party have been stolen, but the name Thackeray cannot be stolen,” he told reporters at Sena Bhavan in Dadar, Mumbai. Uddhav’s media briefing came after the Supreme Court, earlier in the day, refused to entertain an oral mentioning made by his faction to urgently list its plea challenging the EC decision. 

“The EC order is wrong. The Supreme Court is the last ray of hope,” he said. “There is not a single instance where the party name and symbol were directly given to one faction.  What was the need for the EC to make this decision in a hurry?” 

Also read | Shiv Sena symbol row: Uddhav’s faction moves SC against EC decision

“Even if the other faction took our name and symbol, they can’t take our Thackeray name. I was lucky to be born to the family of Balasaheb Thackeray,” he said.

‘Could happen to anyone’

Accusing the BJP of destroying democracy with the help of democratic institutions, Uddhav said: “What the BJP did with us today, they can do it with anyone. If this continues, after 2024, there won’t be any democracy or election in the country.” He added that he had received calls in support from Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar, Nitish Kumar and many other leaders.

Uddhav said he had never left Hindutva, though he was accused of doing so when he ended his decades-old alliance with the BJP in 2019. During the Assembly bypoll in Andheri, his party candidate had used the name given by the EC. The other faction didn’t even have the courage of fighting that bypoll, he added.

With agency inputs

Coming soon: The Federal speaks with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut