Mumbai: MNS Chief Raj Thackeray Announces ‘Jan Morcha’ With Uddhav Sena On October 4 Against Gyanesh Kumar Over SIR

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray declared on Saturday that his party and the Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, will organize a large-scale public march in Mumbai on October 4. The protest is set to oppose the functioning of the Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Dnyanesh Kumar. Thackeray accused the Election Commission of misleading voters through the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) process and alleged that the commission was operating as a branch of the ruling party at the Centre.

The MNS chief emphasized that the march would be a collective effort by both parties but wished to involve all political parties to make it the voice of the entire political system and the people. Raj Thackeray called upon citizens to participate en masse, stating that the rally aimed to safeguard democracy and the Constitution.

The MNS chief added that the specifics of the event, including the time and venue, would be disclosed soon. The controversy surrounding the SIR process has intensified, with an Indian Express investigation revealing that over 13 crore names were removed from draft electoral rolls across various states and Union Territories. Both the Chief Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, have formally objected to the steps taken by the poll panel on multiple occasions.

The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has also joined the fray, announcing a nationwide protest from Mumbai on October 2, should Gyanesh Kumar not resign by Saturday. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke stated that the protest would expand to other cities and even threaten an indefinite sit-in in Delhi, dubbed "Jantar Mantar 2.0."