Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, accusing the cousins of attempting to revive their political fortunes following electoral setbacks. Speaking in Nagpur, Mr. Fadnavis likened the Thackeray leaders to characters from the 2008 Bollywood film 'Ghajini', whose protagonist suffers from severe memory loss, according to nagpurtoday.in.

The Chief Minister’s comments were made on the sidelines of a programme in Nagpur, hours after the Thackeray cousins led a joint protest in Mumbai against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Mr. Fadnavis took a dig at the Thackerays, questioning their criticism of the Election Commission concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, nagpurtoday.in reported.

Mr. Fadnavis specifically challenged the Thackerays' attempt to link the 2026 SIR exercise and the current Election Commission leadership with the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections. "They have become like ‘Ghajini’," Mr. Fadnavis stated, as reported by nagpurtoday.in. He added, "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."

The Chief Minister further questioned the logic behind their allegations, asking, "How can the SIR of 2026 and the person who became Chief Election Commissioner in 2025 affect the 2024 elections?" According to nagpurtoday.in, Mr. Fadnavis dismissed the "Virat Garjana Morcha" protest held in Mumbai as an effort by the two leaders to regain lost political ground, claiming that despite significant promotion, the attendance at the march was "thin."

Details of the Joint Protest

The Chief Minister's remarks followed a "Virat Garjana Morcha" protest in Mumbai, jointly led by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray. The march commenced in south Mumbai and culminated near the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters, according to nagpurtoday.in.

During the protest, the Thackeray cousins demanded the removal or resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. They alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Raj Thackeray also called for the SIR to be scrapped entirely and advocated for a return to paper ballots, nagpurtoday.in reported.

The demonstration saw participation from leaders of several opposition parties. Among those present were Congress leaders Balasaheb Thorat and Vijay Wadettiwar. Leaders from the NCP (SP) also joined, including Jayant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, Jitendra Awhad, and Anil Deshmukh. However, nagpurtoday.in noted that some prominent opposition leaders chose to stay away from the event.

Organizers of the rally sought to present it as a broader opposition movement rather than a protest specific to a single political party. To reinforce this message, party flags were prohibited during the march, and participants were instead requested to carry the national Tricolour, according to nagpurtoday.in.

Political Significance and Continuing Controversy

Mr. Fadnavis, however, downplayed the political significance of the demonstration. He characterized the protest as an expression of frustration following electoral reverses. "They are blatantly speaking falsehoods, and when people have rejected them, they vent their frustration here on the Election Commission," he said, as reported by nagpurtoday.in.

The exchange between Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Thackeray cousins has added another political flashpoint to the continuing controversy surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and the functioning of the Election Commission in Maharashtra, nagpurtoday.in reported.