Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) on Thursday demanded an independent audit of the BJP-led government's 12-year tenure under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, arguing that the record stands in stark contrast to the governance legacy stretching from Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh. The demand came through an editorial in the party's mouthpiece, 'Saamana', published from Mumbai.

The Nehru Benchmark

The editorial invoked the Nehru era as a reference point, noting that under his leadership, institutions such as AIIMS, the IITs, and the IIMs were established. The Thackeray camp characterised that period as one focused on nation-building, international standing, and a society free from communal discord.

By contrast, the editorial alleged that the past 12 years have seen central agencies — including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Income Tax Department, and the police — allegedly weaponised against political opponents. It further claimed that constitutional bodies such as the Election Commission of India and senior judicial figures have been reduced to extensions of the ruling party, a charge the BJP has consistently denied.

Economic and Social Critique

The Saamana editorial presented a sharp critique of the current socio-economic landscape. It claimed the Indian economy has deteriorated, the rupee has significantly depreciated, and the import-export balance has been disrupted alongside what it described as depleting foreign exchange reserves. National interests, it alleged, have been subordinated to benefit a small group of corporate industrialists.

The editorial also pointed to surging unemployment, rising instances of atrocities and sexual violence against women, and the fact that 80 crore citizens reportedly depend on free grain rations as evidence of widespread economic distress. Ongoing farmer suicides were cited as a further indicator of rural hardship.

Handling of National Tragedies

The Thackeray camp took particular aim at what it described as the selective treatment of national sacrifices. It alleged that Operation Blue Star — which claimed the life of General Arun Kumar Vaidya and hundreds of soldiers — is 'actively disparaged by current ministers', while the Pulwama massacre of 40 jawans and the killing of 26 Hindus in Pahalgam have been reduced, in its view, to electoral talking points.

The editorial also warned that the sacrifice of 562 soldiers during the Kargil War under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee administration risks being overshadowed by contemporary political narratives. This comes amid a broader opposition charge that the ruling dispensation selectively appropriates national security events for political gain.

The Audit Demand

Summarising its critique, the Shiv Sena (UBT) stated that while British colonial rule plundered the nation, the 'systematic exploitation under the current 12-year regime is far worse' — a claim that critics of the party are likely to contest as hyperbolic. The party has formally demanded an 'impartial audit' of what has genuinely been achieved during this tenure in terms of India's global standing and domestic welfare.

The editorial is the latest in a series of sustained attacks by the Thackeray faction as it seeks to differentiate itself from the rival Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena ahead of future electoral contests.