Sharad Pawar's bags checked in Pune amid Uddhav Thackeray frisking controversy

Amid the controversy over the routine inspection of Uddhav Thackeray’s luggage, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar’s bags were checked by election officials on Sunday at the Baramati helipad in Maharashtra's Pune district. Pawar was en route to a poll rally in Solapur, with the state currently under the model code of conduct for the upcoming assembly elections on November 20.

“Pawar Saheb was on his way to the Karmala poll rally in Solapur when his bags were checked at the Baramati helipad. After due inspection, he boarded the chopper and continued to the rally,” an associate of Pawar confirmed.

This comes amid heightened scrutiny of political leaders’ movements and belongings. On Saturday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s bags were also inspected during his visit to Amravati district for a campaign event. These routine checks have sparked criticism, with opposition leaders questioning whether similar actions are taken for top leaders of the ruling coalition, such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Former state minister and Congress MLA Yashomati Thakur expressed dissatisfaction with the selective nature of these checks, saying, “Why are the bags of the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde not inspected in the same manner?”

The controversy began after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray shared a video of election officials checking his bags. In the video, Thackeray questioned whether high-ranking leaders in the BJP-led government were subject to the same scrutiny, sparking a political debate.

Interestingly, videos of similar inspections for Amit Shah, Chief Minister Shinde, and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have also surfaced, indicating adherence to standard election protocols. Responding to the row, Amit Shah posted on social media platform X, stating that the BJP firmly supports free and fair elections and follows all rules laid out by the Election Commission.