'Could not prevent regime change within own party': CM Fadnavis mocks Uddhav

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday hit back at former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray for backing calls for a “regime change” in India, saying the Shiv Sena (UBT) president had failed to prevent a regime change within his own party.

“First of all, Uddhav Thackeray could not prevent a regime change within his own Shiv Sena, so I do not know what other regime change he is talking about. The moment his party abandoned Hindutva and the ideology of Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray, such turmoil erupted within the party that those who wanted to follow Balasaheb Thackeray’s principles formed the real Shiv Sena,” Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur.

Fadnavis was referring to the June 2022 split in the undivided Shiv Sena, which led to the formation of two factions led by Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra deputy chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The chief minister asserted that any regime change in India could take place only through elections, not through street protests.

“I have made it very clear: Stop fighting against the Constitution of India. Decisions in this country will be taken in Parliament and in accordance with the Constitution, not on the streets. In a democracy, governments are decided through elections,” he said.

Fadnavis expressed confidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government would return to power in 2029 and called on the opposition to win public support to secure an electoral victory.

“Today, Narendra Modi’s government is in power, and it will be elected again. But if you want a regime change, you must contest elections, win the hearts of the people and secure an electoral victory. Those who dream of bringing about a regime change in India by disregarding the Constitution, as witnessed in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, will never succeed in their intentions,” the chief minister added, referring to the youth- and student-led movements that toppled incumbent governments in three of India’s neighbouring countries in recent years.

Fadnavis’ comments came a day after Uddhav Thackeray backed recent calls by activists and opposition leaders for a regime change in India, arguing that denying people the right to express their views through elections and protests would leave them with no option but to seek a change of government.

“If you take away our right to express our views through elections and protest, then we're standing up just to overthrow this government,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief said.

The remarks come amid a political row over references to regime change by opposition leaders and student activists during ongoing protests in Delhi against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan, student activist and All India Students Association (AISA) president Neha Bora, and Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera have publicly used or discussed the phrase “regime change” at conferences and press briefings in connection with the protests.