Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's bags were checked by poll personnel on Wednesday while he was onboard a helicopter to travel for poll campaign, and the Nationalist Congress Party leader said such measures are needed to ensure free and fair elections.
Everyone should respect the law and support efforts to uphold the integrity of the country's democracy, Pawar said in a post on his X account and posted a video showing his bags being checked in his Baramati assembly constituency here.
Earlier in the day, the Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party also posted a video on X showing checking of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' bags, and said merely holding the Constitution for 'show' is not enough and one must also follow the constitutional system.
The videos of the two leaders were posted to apparently blunt Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Uddhav Thackeray's claims of being selectively targeted by poll authorities who checked his bags in the last two days.
Thackeray had claimed his bags were inspected by the election authorities after he arrived in Latur and Yavatmal districts in the last two days to campaign for the November 20 state assembly elections.
The Sena-UBT leader had also asked if the same law would be applied to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders of the ruling alliance during their campaign.
The visuals posted on Pawar's X handle on Wednesday show an official checking his bags and finding a packet of 'chaklis' and a box containing 'ladoos' (snacks) while the deputy CM was onboard a helicopter.
'Today, while on my way for election campaigning, the Election Commission conducted a routine check of my bags and helicopter. I fully cooperated and believe that such measures are essential to ensure free and fair elections,' Pawar said in the post.
'Let us all respect the law and support efforts to uphold the integrity of our democracy,' he added.
Earlier in the day, the state BJP unit posted a footage on its X account, showing Fadnavis' bags being checked by security personnel at Kolhapur airport on November 5.
The ruling party in the post along with the video said, 'Let it be, some leaders just have a habit of creating drama.'
'Simply holding the Constitution for show is not enough; one must also follow constitutional systems. We only request that everyone respects the Constitution,' the BJP said in the post.
On Tuesday, Fadnavis said Thackeray was trying to divert the attention by needlessly protesting about the checking of his bags by poll officials and was 'seeking votes by whining'.
What is wrong with checking of bags? the senior BJP leader had wondered.
Thackeray's frustration was showing, he added.
