A day after Shiv Sena-UBT questioned the move of poll authorities to check the bag of party chief Uddhav Thackeray, sources in the Election Commission on Tuesday said aircraft and helicopters of top leaders across political spectrum are checked as part of standard operating procedure (SOP).
They said in the previous polls too, planes and helicopters of Bharatiya Janata Party president J P Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah were checked.
"There have been strict SOPs followed by enforcement agencies for a level playing field. During the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a similar issue was raised in Bihar and it was clarified that the helicopters of prominent leaders, including Nadda was checked in district Bhagalpur on April 24 and Shah in district Katihar on April 21 were also checked as per SOP," a functionary pointed out.
The sources also recalled the statement of Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar during the announcement of ongoing assembly elections that directions have been given to the enforcement agencies to ensure checking of helicopters of all leaders for a level playing field.
Thackeray had on Monday claimed his bag was inspected by the election authorities when he arrived in Maharashtra's Yavatmal to campaign for the November 20 assembly elections.
The former chief minister asked if the election authorities would also inspect the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) also posted on X a video Thackeray recorded while poll officials were checking his bags on his arrival in Yavatmal.
In the video, Thackeray can be heard asking officials if they had similarly inspected the bags of any other senior leader or if they would check PM Modi or Union Home Minister Shah's bags.
Thackeray recounted this experience while addressing a public meeting at Wani in Yavatmal.
