Mumbai Police has denied the protest rally of Maha Vikas Aghadi against voter fraud, voter list discrepancies, duplicate voters and election malpractices, which was scheduled to be held today, Saturday (November 1). MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena UBT leader Uddhav Thackeray, NCP Sharad Pawar faction chief Sharad Pawar, Congress leaders and leaders of leftist parties will be present at this march.
The protest rally was mapped from Fashion Street in Churchgate at 1 pm to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation via Metro Cinema Road at 4 pm. However, according to the news agency IANS, Mumbai Police has not granted permission to hold a rally today to the Mahavikas Aghadi and MNS, citing security and traffic concerns.
Mumbai Police warned will face legal action for those who take out an unauthorised march. The protest march against alleged irregularities in the voter list was named the March of Truth. For holding the march, Maha Vikas Aghadi has sought permission from Mumbai police, but the permission was rejected.
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Mumbai Police said no march allowed near Azad Maidan and the Mumbai Municipal Corporation route. Permission is granted to hold the protest inside Azad Maidan. Therefore, if the march is to be taken out according to the rules outside Azad Maidan, permission cannot be granted, sources told Lokshahi English.
As the police have not yet granted permission for the march, there is speculation that the Maha Vikas Aghadi and MNS march might take place without permission.
NCP-SCP leader Anil Deshmukh said that Maha Vikas Aghadi will carry out protest in city against vote theft. "The way elections are won through EVMs, there is a need to correct the voter list. There are discrepancies in votes - 130 names coming from the same house," he added.
"Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation commissioner's address is being used to register 130 names despite him living in an official bungalow. Our demand is for correcting these errors in the electoral rolls to ensure fair elections," said Deshmukh.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said, "All our opposition parties, including Raj Thackeray's party, are participating in it. They (NDA) stole votes and seized power. This theft has been caught, yet the Election Commission is not willing to listen... That's why today's protest demonstration is happening..."