"Wrong to target a party leader": Ashok Gehlot extends support to Uddhav Thackeray over rift with ECI

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 12 (ANI): In a fresh controversy ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) checked Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's bag after his helicopter landed in the Yamatwal assembly constituency where he was to address an election rally.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister and Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday came in support of the former Maharashtra Chief Minister, saying that it was wrong to target a party leader.
Thackeray expressed his anger, asking whether ECI officials checked the bags of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar.
Gehlot said that Thackeray was right in asking such a question.
"Uddhav Thackeray ji is right. If they are checking, they should inspect every one. There's no problem then. But to target a party leader is wrong. The Election Commission should look into this and everyone should be checked," the senior Congress leader said while talking to ANI.
Reacting to slogans raised by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gehlot said that it was unfortunate that a situation has arisen in the country where elected people are raising such slogans.
"Unfortunately, such a situation has arisen in the country where such slogans are being raised and that too by elected people. Where do you want to take the country? Today there is unity in diversity, we are united, but they are trying to divide us," he added.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah along with other top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Assam CM Hemant Biswa Sarma of polarising the society by spreading enmity and "communal venom."
Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge criticised PM Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath for their slogan "Ek hai toh safe hai" and "batenge toh katenge," respectively, saying that their intention was to finish unity and show their dominance. (ANI)