After meeting Sharad Pawar & Thackeray, 96-yr-old Baba Adhav breaks anti-EVM fast (Ld)

Quaid Najmi

Pune (Maharashtra), Nov 30 (IANS) Veteran social crusader, Dr Babasaheb Pandurang Adhav (96), alias Baba Adhav broke his 3-day long hunger strike to oppose EVMs after a galaxy of political leaders including Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray plus others met him here on Saturday evening. 

The weary-looking Dr Baba Adhav, a medico-cum-labour leader, received Nationalist Congress (SP) President Sharad Pawar, his state President Jayant R. Patil, Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray, party MP Sanjay Raut, and later Nationalist Congress Party President Ajit A. Pawar also dropped in at the agitation venue.

Around 5 p.m., Dr Baba Adhav bowed to appeals from his supporters and accepted a glass of water offered by Thackeray, symbolising the end of his hunger agitation amidst claps and cheers.

“There have been huge discrepancies in the voter turnout figures declared by the ECI, kept changing, the vote-counting processes were allegedly manipulated to give undue advantage to the outgoing MahaYuti, and related aspects. The verdict is an assault on democracy,” said Dr Baba Adhav earlier, speaking to the media.

Asserting that the people have a right to know where their votes have actually gone, the frail, but firm, nonagenarian pointed out how the MahaYuti regime doled out cash to women (‘Ladki Bahin’) scheme just before the elections and undermined the state’s delicate financial condition, as Sharad Pawar, 83, nodded in agreement.

“The government wants a democracy that gives it a monopoly without any Opposition (party). Therefore it is the duty and responsibility of all citizens to thwart this, and take a firm stance,” urged Dr Baba Adhav.

Speaking on the occasion, Thackeray said that “not only the losers like us (Maha Vikas Aghadi), but even the winners (MahaYuti) leaders are coming here”.

“Nobody, neither the winners nor the losers believe in the outcome of the state Assembly elections. We are stunned over how we lost, they are shocked at how they won. The reason is clear. ‘Satyameve Jayate’ was killed, but now you (Dr Baba Adha) have revived it and we are fully with you,” said Thackeray.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) President said this agitation was like a spark but it would ignite into a huge blaze, and lauded Dr Baba Adhav for carrying out the agitation at his advanced age and “inspiring all of us” to continue the fight.

“We have also seen and heard how money power was brutally used in the polls… All have watched the videos of (Bharatiya Janata Party) leader Vinod Tawde (in Palghar, on November 19). We have seen the shower of schemes. But what the MahaYuti did was to give anaesthesia to all its projects to complete its ‘power operation’ quickly,” said Thackeray without mincing words.

He also called upon the top leaders of the MVA parties NCP (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT)-Congress to follow in Dr Baba Adhav’s footsteps, and carry forward the fight against EVMs, even as the Election Commission of India (ECI) invited a Congress delegation to discuss its grievances (December 3) on the state poll outcome.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief rued how the information on elections is not available under RTI, how people’s rights are being flouted, while the EVM-VVPAT receipt is visible, counting of the same is not allowed, thus preventing the people and candidates from knowing whether their vote got registered properly or not, leading to many doubts.

Taking potshots at the MahaYuti for the huge delay in government formation, Thackeray said that after getting a brute majority, “instead of going to Raj Bhavan (for the oath), the caretaker CM has gone to his farmland,” and wondered what had gone wrong.

“When the MVA government was due to be formed (in November 2019), the President’s rule was imposed… Now, (2024), the term of the legislature has expired, so why is the same not being done now? No one will answer these questions…There is complete uncertainty on the new regime, who could be the CM, ministers, portfolios, etc,” said Thackeray.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: [email protected])