Uddhav Thackeray calls for regime change at Dussehra rally

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has called for a regime change at both the state and central levels, using his party's annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai to launch a sharp political attack on the ruling establishment.

Speaking on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, at the 60th anniversary of the rally established by party founder Bal Thackeray in 1966, the former chief minister told supporters that the political opposition had united to dislodge the government. Co-opting the central government's historic campaign pledge, he declared that his alliance would usher in genuine acche din once in power.

What happened at Shivaji Park

Addressing the crowd at Dadar's historic Shivaji Park, Thackeray defended young people staging demonstrations across the state, insisting that public protests represent their democratic right. Rejecting attempts to criminalise demonstrators, he stated that young citizens taking to the streets are revolutionaries fighting against alleged vote theft rather than extremists.

"Youth who have hit the streets are not Naxalites, they are revolutionaries seeking their rights," Thackeray told the gathering, alleging that electoral manipulation has disproportionately hit first-time voters.

He also attempted to draw a ideological distinction between his faction's brand of Hindutva and that of the Bharatiya Janata Party, arguing that his party's saffron heritage remains uncompromised and setting an ambition to unfurl the saffron flag atop the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha and Delhi's Red Fort.

Questions over Tiger Shroff shooting

Turning to law and order, Thackeray targeted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the recent armed attack on Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. Three gunmen fired on Shroff's vehicle on Sunday evening in Mumbai's Juhu area as the actor was leaving a football ground. Shroff escaped without injury, though his driver and an associate were wounded.

Thackeray questioned how armed assailants were able to move weapons through Mumbai unchecked, challenging the state government's crime response. Drawing attention to claims that the Lawrence Bishnoi network exceeds 70,000 operatives, he demanded that the state leadership confront the gang's leadership directly in Delhi rather than seeking publicity after the fact.

Police action and Shroff's response

Law enforcement authorities moved swiftly following the Sunday shooting. Police intercepted and arrested three suspects aboard a Jaipur-bound express train at Kota junction in Rajasthan on Monday.

While an online statement attributed to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang circulated on social media claiming responsibility for the shooting, police officials have stated that the claim remains unverified.

On Tuesday, Shroff's management issued a public advisory cautioning the public against fabricated narratives and altered digital material. The actor's representatives stated that Shroff had made no personal statements or videos regarding the incident, warning of legal action against social media channels disseminating artificial intelligence-generated clips and false rumours.