Eknath Shinde slams Sena (UBT) for recreating Bal Thackeray's voice through AI, calls it demeaning
Mumbai, Apr 17 (PTI): Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday said the Shiv Sena (UBT) demeaned Sena patriarch late Bal Thackeray by using AI technology to recreate his voice.
Nobody will stay with the Shiv Sena (UBT) because Uddhav Thackeray has "betrayed" his father's ideals, Shinde told reporters.
"We freed the Shiv Sena from the clutches of the Congress. They (Uddhav Thackeray and his party) were not only dislodged from power, but also from the minds of people. If they have any shame left, they should not resort to such childish acts and demean Balasaheb. Do not behave in a way that will hurt Balasaheb," he added.
Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership in 2022 and split the party.
Responding to his barbs, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said those who formed a "fake Shiv Sena" using the Sena founder's name should not comment on the issue.
Artificial Intelligence technology was used to create Bal Thackeray's voice at a party event last month too, and there was nothing new in it, he added.
A 13-minute speech in a voice resembling that of Bal Thackeray was played at a Sena (UBT) gathering in Nashik in north Maharashtra on Wednesday. It had the late party founder's trademark lines too.
State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, in a post on X on Wednesday, called it a childish stunt.
धिक्कार...!
— Chandrashekhar Bawankule (@cbawankule) April 16, 2025
आपला आवाज कुणी ऐकत नाही, म्हणून आपले विचार हिंदूहृदयसम्राट वंदनीय शिवसेनाप्रमुख बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांच्या आवाजात ऐकवण्याचा पोरकटपणा फक्त आणि फक्त उबाठासारखा गटच करु शकतो.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
