Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 2: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission (EC), the Maharashtra government, and senior BJP leaders, accusing them of eroding democratic values, shielding controversial ministers, and running the state through a network of biased institutions.

Responding to recent remarks by Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi criticising the Election Commission’s impartiality, Sawant echoed similar sentiments, accusing the EC of behaving like a “slave” and abandoning its constitutional neutrality.

“They are working beyond legal limits. Shiv Sena has suffered directly due to their decisions,” Sawant told IANS in Mumbai on Saturday, referencing the political crisis stemming from the Shiv Sena split. “What’s happening in Bihar and West Bengal is just a trailer — they’ll repeat it across India.”

Sawant highlighted a recent example of alleged institutional bias: a scheduled meeting between the EC and the Shiv Sena (UBT) faction was abruptly cancelled, citing “internal work,” only for Deputy CM Eknath Shinde to meet with EC officials the very next day. “This is not how a democracy operates,” Sawant said, calling it clear evidence of preferential treatment.

He didn’t hold back on Maharashtra’s Home Minister Yogesh Kadam, who is reportedly linked to a dance bar controversy. Sawant condemned the silence from senior leaders and called the episode a serious blow to the state’s image. “The Home Minister of Maharashtra running a dance bar? Where is the Ethics Committee now?” he asked.

Even Kadam’s move to surrender the bar’s licence drew Sawant’s ire. “Surrendering the licence doesn’t wash away the wrongdoing. Will he still remain the Home Minister?” he said, slamming what he described as a culture of impunity within the ruling alliance.

Sawant also took aim at CM Devendra Fadnavis, accusing him of inaction and failing to speak up. “No one knows what's stopping him. Shinde is just a puppet. It’s Home Minister Amit Shah who’s calling the shots,” he claimed.

Commenting on reports that a former Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officer was allegedly pressured to arrest RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Sawant dismissed the timing of the claim as politically motivated. “Why didn’t he speak earlier?” he asked, suggesting that such allegations often surface to distract from real issues.

He concluded with a warning: “One day even the Election Commissioners will reveal the pressure they were under. This is the true face of the BJP — manipulating institutions and polarising the country.”