Congress, NCP-SP Back Thackeray Brothers' Oct 4 Protest March From Byculla
The Nationalist Congress Party–Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) and the Congress have backed a protest march called by the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), scheduled to begin from Byculla in Mumbai on October 4. The demonstration is directed against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The march will commence from Richardson Cruddas in Byculla at 10 am and proceed toward the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters located near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). MNS chief Raj Thackeray stated that the procession is scheduled to reach the BMC headquarters between 11 am and 11:30 am.
The protest plan was announced earlier this week at a joint press conference held by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, who subsequently extended formal invitations to other opposition parties. Raj Thackeray described the upcoming gathering as an apolitical "Jan Morcha" and instructed participants to carry the national Tricolour rather than party flags.
Following the invitation, NCP-SP leader Supriya Sule and Congress leader Nana Patole confirmed their participation in the demonstration. Urging the public to join, Patole stated that the demonstration should evolve beyond political parties into a wider civic movement.
"Democracy is being murdered in broad daylight. Gyanesh Kumar is benefiting the BJP. Congress believes democracy must be protected. Everyone who believes in democracy is now taking to the streets," Patole said regarding the planned march.
The call for protest comes amid escalating scrutiny over the Election Commission's handling of the SIR drive. More than 13 crore names were reportedly excluded from draft electoral rolls across 30 states and Union Territories during the exercise. Furthermore, Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi formally raised objections on at least 14 separate occasions over a 10-month period concerning orders and decisions taken without their knowledge, even as the Election Commission has initiated measures in recent days to address concerns about the revision process.
