They are Ghajinis: Fadnavis takes swipe at Uddhav-Raj Thackerays over protest march

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis attacked the Uddhav and Raj Thackeray-led Mumbai march against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. He said the protest reflected political frustration after public rejection and drew a thin crowd.

In Short

• Fadnavis questions how 2026 SIR could affect Maharashtra’s 2024 elections
• Congress and NCP leaders joined the rally alongside both Thackeray cousins
• Protesters demanded Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's removal during the demonstration

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday criticised the protest march led by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray in Mumbai, calling it an expression of frustration against the Election Commission after being rejected by the people. He also termed the two leaders as "Ghajinis".

Fadnavis said the march was an attempt by the leaders to regain lost ground and claimed the turnout was low despite the build-up around it. The protest, led by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, was held to seek the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme, Fadnavis said, "The morcha was an attempt to find back their lost ground. Despite all the hype, the attendance at the march was thin." Earlier in the day, the two cousins led the march from Metro Cinema to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters in south Mumbai.

Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar, along with Jayant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, Jitendra Awhad and Anil Deshmukh of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), took part in the rally.

Fadnavis said, "They have become like 'Ghajini'. So I want to remind these 'Ghajinis' that Gyanesh Kumar became Chief Election Commissioner in 2025, whereas elections in Maharashtra were held in 2024, and the SIR began in 2026." Referring to the film character known for memory loss, he added, "How can the SIR of 2026 and the person who became Chief Election Commissioner in 2025 affect the 2024 elections?"

In a further attack, Fadnavis said one should at least try to sound believable while speaking lies. "But they are blatantly speaking falsehoods, and when people have rejected them, they vent their frustration here on the Election Commission," he added. Overall, Fadnavis described the march as a politically driven protest with low attendance, while the opposition leaders used it to press for the ouster of the Chief Election Commissioner.

- Ends