‘Yes, we want a regime change’: Uddhav Thackeray

Thackeray, who was speaking at a journalism awards distribution ceremony in south Mumbai, backed a declaration by lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan made at a press conference on Thursday that everyone wanted a regime change

MUMBAI: Responding to the charges of BJP leaders that protests by the opposition were aimed at bringing down the government, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday declared, “Yes, we are fighting for a regime change in the country.”

‘Yes, we want a regime change’: Uddhav Thackeray.

Thackeray, who was speaking at a journalism awards distribution ceremony in south Mumbai, backed a declaration by lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan made at a press conference on Thursday that everyone wanted a regime change. “Yes, we do want one,” said Thackeray. “If you are snatching our electoral rights, our right to protest, then yes, we are working for a regime change. What do you have to say?”

The Sena (UBT) chief sarcastically said he wanted to ask PM Narendra Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh whether the thousands of security personnel they had stationed in Delhi during the recent protest had been brought to play Navratri garba. “They are smashing people’s heads, dragging women and girls, pulling their hair and tearing off their dresses,” he said. “This regime has to be trampled upon and we are fighting for this.”

Thackeray said that all journalists needed to unite for this and save democracy, else it would drown. “At a time when the country was facing a huge crisis, the people have to save it, else committing suicide is better,” he said. “I will say more during the Dussehra Rally at Shivaji Park on Tuesday.”

BJP leaders have been hitting out at the opposition for its protest against SIR and irregularities in the electoral system. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis recently said that it was all about “regime change”, and claimed that the movement was aimed at gaining power by provoking students and farmers, spreading hatred along caste and linguistic lines, and tarnishing the image of institutions. He accused the protesters of spreading “anarchy” under the cover of agitation. He said that the Opposition, seeing dim prospects of winning through democratic means, was seeking power by creating disorder.

Union defence minister Rajnath Singh accused the Congress and its allies of seeking a Bangladesh-inspired political upheaval. He alleged that young people were being used as “pawns” in the politics of anarchy and argued that the agitation was not genuinely about the Election Commission, voter-roll revision or electoral reforms but about capturing power and weakening democratic institutions.

Reacting to Thackeray ‘s statement, BJP MLC Prasad Lad said, “We changed Uddhav Thackeray’s regime in 2022. Now even the remaining MLAs and MPs are coming with us. He is calling us terrorists, but bombs were planted under an industrialist’s residence in Uddhav Thackeray’s regime.”

Thackeray also narrated an anecdote of how his father Bal Thackeray went with a bouquet to congratulate Sharad Pawar when he became CM but also mentioned how he did not like the way he had got the post. “My father and Sharad Pawar had their differences but they remained good friends,” said Thackeray. “Today people are arrested for differences and called anti-nationals.”