BJP hits back at Uddhav Thackeray over bag check controversy, shares video of Fadnavis’ luggage inspection

Thackeray’s theatrics over the luggage check were unnecessary: BJP

The political sparring between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the ruling BJP escalated on Monday, a day after a row erupted over the routine security check of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s luggage. The BJP shared a video on social media showing Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis undergoing a similar bag inspection, taking a dig at Thackeray for his reaction to the security check.

Without directly naming Thackeray, the BJP’s Maharashtra unit posted the video and accused “some leaders” of having a “habit of showing off.” The ruling party emphasized that Fadnavis, unlike Thackeray, did not make a fuss when his bags were checked at airports in Yavatmal on November 7 and Kolhapur on November 5.

In its post, the BJP suggested that Thackeray’s theatrics over the luggage check were unnecessary. The party also took aim at the Opposition’s ‘Save Constitution‘ slogan, asserting that it was not enough to merely “flaunt the Constitution,” but that it must also be respected and followed in action.

“जाऊ द्या, काही नेत्यांना तमाशा करण्याची सवयच असते!” (Let it be, some leaders have a habit of creating a spectacle), the post read, accompanied by the video of Fadnavis’ bags being checked.

The controversy began on Sunday when a video surfaced on social media showing Uddhav Thackeray confronting an airport security officer during a bag check-in in Yavatmal. Thackeray was heard questioning why BJP leaders such as Fadnavis, Narendra Modi, and Amit Shah weren’t subjected to the same level of scrutiny.

“I won’t stop you… you are following your responsibility. I am following mine. Search… search whatever you want to search. But did you search the bags of Devendra Fadnavis, Narendra Modi, or Amit Shah?” Thackeray is heard saying in the video. When the officer explained that the BJP leaders had not campaigned in the region yet, Thackeray insisted that their bags should be checked whenever they visit and even asked for video proof.

In a counter-response, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, a close aide of Thackeray, said there was no objection to searches if they were carried out “impartially.” However, Raut raised concerns about alleged corruption in regions where BJP leaders, including Fadnavis and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, were contesting elections. “Where Eknath Shinde and (Deputy Chief Ministers) Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis are contesting, ₹25 crores have already reached…” he claimed, implying that the ruling coalition might be involved in financial irregularities.

Shinde Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde quickly responded to Raut’s allegations, calling them “wild” and pointing out that when Shinde’s bags were checked in Nashik during the 2024 election campaign, he did not “create an uproar” as Thackeray’s camp had done.

The controversy comes ahead of Maharashtra’s state elections on November 20, with the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP (Ajit Pawar) alliance looking to rebound from its setbacks in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Opposition alliance, including Congress, Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar), is vigorously campaigning to secure victory.

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