Uddhav calls Election Commission 'slave of BJP', says 'no more democracy left'

MUMBAI: A day after the Election commission (EC) denied him the right over his father’s party and symbol, former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the EC was working as "a slave of the ruling party" and added that the country is "marching towards dictatorship."

In a big blow to Thackeray, the poll watchdog on Friday allotted the name 'Shiv Sena' and its poll symbol 'bow and arrow' to the group led by Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.

Thackeray said that if the EC was pre-planning its decisions in favour of rival factions of Shiv Sena, then "why did they do the farce of asking them to submit the affidavits and documents and taking the hearing as well?"

"Before the EC order that was uploaded on Friday evening, the BJP leader and union minister and even the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra were boastfully claiming that the EC will give the order on Shinde’s side. How did these BJP leaders know the order before the EC decision? It shows that all institutions are manipulated and misused by the BJP. The EC is behaving like slaves and eating the cow dung on the order of their political bosses," Uddhav Thackeray said.

He said they had requested ECI not to pass its final order till the Supreme Court passes its final order over the disqualifications of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs.

"But EC seems to be in a hurry. What pressure they had I do not know. The byelections are going on, and the election code of conduct is in force till the EC hurriedly passes the order and declares it. It is very unfortunate that one after another institutions that were earlier called independent institutions are destroyed and made stools in the hand of the BJP. The entire world is watching what is happening in India," Thackeray said. 

He further added India has been celebrating the 75th year of independence but what is happening in the country is quite shameful.

"There is no more democracy left. Everything is taken under control by hook or crook. The Indian judiciary is the last ray of hope in our country. India Gandhi at least declared the emergency, she was candid in her conduct, but here without declaring the emergency, all acts of emergency are followed and implemented. But we will go to the people’s court and hope for their support. We will build the Shiv Sena like my father did in the 1960s," he said.

Thackeray told his supporters that the party's 'bow and arrow' symbol has been stolen and the thief needs to be taught a lesson, a remark aimed at Shinde.

"Today ECI has recognized the thief as king, but they should understand the thief will remain thief only even though he has called the king. We will bounce back. People of Maharashtra will take revenge for the ECI order,” he said.

"The bow and arrow have been stolen. The thief needs to be taught a lesson. He has been caught. I challenge the thief to come out on the field with a bow and arrow and we will counter it with a flaming torch," Thackeray added.

The EC had earlier allotted the 'flaming torch' as a symbol to Thackeray's faction last year. 

Meanwhile, Thackeray's loyalists gathered in large numbers outside 'Matoshree' and raised slogans against Shinde and reaffirmed their solidarity towards Thackeray. 

Thackeray asked his party leaders to tour the state and mobilise the cadre, a party leader said.