Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's bags were checked after his helicopter landed at the Palghar Police ground helipad, amid ongoing scrutiny over election-related protocols.
On Monday, Thackeray's bag was checked after his helicopter landed in Yavatmal, and a video of the inspection was posted on social media by his party. The same procedure was repeated on Tuesday in Latur, where election officials checked his bags before his rally in Kasar Shirshi village.
During his interaction with the election staff, Thackeray had questioned why he was always the “first customer” for such checks and whether similar scrutiny would apply to senior leaders from the ruling alliance, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Eknath Shinde, Devendra Fadnavis, Ajit Pawar, and Amit Shah. He also demanded that Modi be subjected to the same level of inspection during his election campaign.
Thackeray later remarked that while he wasn’t angry with the officials, the same law should apply to everyone, including Modi. He also made a point about ensuring that election observers address the alleged money distribution happening during the elections. The election authorities later confirmed that nothing objectionable was found in Thackeray's bags. The controversy over bag inspections, which often surfaces during elections, highlights ongoing concerns about the misuse of money for vote-buying, with both opposition and ruling parties accusing each other of such practices.
Also on Wednesday, Uddhav Thackeray’s convoy was stopped at a checkpost on the Maharashtra-Goa border in Sindhudurg district, just days after his bags were inspected by officials, once again triggering allegations of selective targeting. Thackeray, who was on a campaign tour in the coastal Konkan region with his son Tejas, was infuriated when his carcade was halted at the Inshuli checkpost as it entered Maharashtra from Goa. The check-post personnel allowed the convoy to proceed after realizing Thackeray was in one of the cars. He then continued his journey to Sawantwadi in Sindhudurg district to address a rally.
