Shiv Sena (UBT) Warns BJP of Mass Uprising Over Alleged Voting Rights Loss

Mumbai, October 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has stepped up its attack on the BJP and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, warning that public anger over alleged loss of voting rights could trigger a mass uprising.

In an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Thackeray camp defended Sunday’s protest rally in Mumbai organised by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and allied groups. The editorial came in response to criticism from senior BJP leaders, including Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who dismissed the rally as an attempt by the Opposition to regain political relevance. State Minister Ashish Shelar also described the protest as “cheap politics” and criticised its demands.

The editorial accused the BJP of insulting citizens who had participated in the protest and alleged that the SIR exercise had arbitrarily removed nearly 13 crore voters across India, including more than two crore in Maharashtra. These figures and allegations were made by the party and have not been independently established in the editorial.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) editorial described the Mumbai mobilisation as an expression of public anguish and warned that sustained public anger could develop into a larger political movement.

It also referred to remarks attributed to Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan regarding due process in matters concerning voters’ rights, and cited former Union Home Secretary and BJP Minister R.K. Singh’s reported criticism of the SIR exercise.

The editorial questioned whether BJP leaders would similarly dismiss such observations as “howling” and reiterated the protesters’ demands for withdrawal of SIR, scrapping of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and a return to ballot-paper voting.

It concluded with sharp criticism of Fadnavis and Shelar, using satire to target their remarks on the protest.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) also warned the ruling establishment against ignoring public sentiment, saying that large-scale mobilisation against perceived injustice could lead to a wider political upheaval.