Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare that democracy had ended and dictatorship now prevailed in India, his anger stemming from the Election Commission verdict giving the Shiv Sena’s bow-and-arrow symbol to the Eknath Shinde faction.

“The Prime Minister should declare from the Red Fort that the freedom India has had for 75 years has ended now and dictatorship is in force,” the former Maharashtra chief minister and erstwhile head of an undivided Shiv Sena told party workers in Mumbai.

Uddhav’s remark reflects the belief among most Opposition parties that the BJP exercises decisive control over key autonomous institutions. Uddhav described the Election Commission as Modi’s “slave” and “puppet”.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too had alleged six months ago that democracy was dead in India and what prevailed now was a fullfledged dictatorship.

Speaking in the context of a crackdown on the Opposition within and outside Parliament, Rahul had said: “What was built brick by brick over seven decades has been dismantled.”

Now, with every word spoken about Modi’s relationship with Adani expunged in both Houses of Parliament and the demand for a joint parliamentary probe into the allegations against the Adani group stonewalled, the Congress has continued to campaign against the government’s “dictatorial attitude”.

The poll panel had on Friday decided that the Sena faction led by Shinde, who had broken away from the parent party and become chief minister with the BJP’s support, would get the party’s original name and symbol since it enjoys a majority among the party’s MLAs and MPs.

An article in Saamna, the mouthpiece of the Uddhav faction, alleged that the Election Commission worked according to a script written by Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, acting like their “puppet”.

Uddhav himself said: “This is murder of democracy. Maharashtra belongs to Chhatrapati Shivaji, not the blind Dhritarashtra (who) will tolerate the disrobing of democracy. If the status of a party is decided by the strength of MLAs and MPs, any rich man can grab a party by purchasing a few people.”

Uddhav added: “The Election Commission has rewarded the traitors. It has accorded legitimacy to Chor Bazar. The thieves are celebrating today. But a thief is a thief. The people of Maharashtra will take revenge.”

Uddhav alleged that the entire episode was part of a conspiracy to win the upcoming Mumbai municipal elections.

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole asked whose pressure had forced the Election Commission to decide to hand over the Sena’s original symbol to the Shinde faction. But NCP veteran Sharad Pawar advised Uddhav to accept the commission’s decision and move on. He said the poll panel’s move would not have any major impact and that people would accept the new symbol of Uddhav’s party.

“It’s the decision of the Election Commission. Once a decision is given, there can be no discussion. Accept it and take a new symbol. It is not going to have any major impact as people will accept (the new symbol),” Pawar said. “I remember that Indira Gandhi too faced this situation. The Congress used to have a two bullocks-with-ayoke symbol. Later, they lost it and adopted the hand as the new symbol, and people accepted it. Similarly, people will accept (the Uddav faction’s) new symbol.”