Saamana, the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena (UBT), referred to the coming together of 17 Opposition parties in Patna last week as India's "Wagner Group" and said it would dislodge Prime Minister Narendra Modi just like Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia.
The Saamana editorial was referring to the dramatic revolt by Russian private military Wagner Group, controlled by Yevgeny Prigozhin, and its march to Russia's capital Moscow to overthrow the Russian defence leadership. The revolt was the most serious threat to Putin, who has run Russia for over two decades.
In an editorial titled "Wagner Group in India!", Saamana drew a parallel between the revolt against Putin in Russia to the emerging Opposition coalition against Modi. It is not the first time that Modi has been compared to Putin. Speaking at a rally in Delhi, Punjab Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Bhagwant Mann earlier said that if Modi wins next year, then he would be become "Narendra Putin" and there would be no elections in India as he would get the Constitution amended and make himself the leader for life like Putin.
In the editorial, Saamana said that Modi would be dislodged by the "non-violent Wagner" through ballot.
"Be it Modi or Putin, they have to face rebellion. The government in India will be dislodged by a non-violent Wagner and that route will be through the ballot box," PTI quoted the editorial in Marathi as saying, adding that it also said that like Putin, Modi has to go, but in a democratic manner.
The editorial also termed th Indian Wagner Group, the Opposition coalition, as a "protector of democracy". In Russia, Prigozhin had termed his revolt and march to Moscow as "march to justice".
"The Wagner group came together in Patna as a protector of democracy, PTI quoted the editorial as saying.
The Saamana editorial also raised the conspiracy theory of EVM-tampering and said if it happens, India would have ethnic violence like Manipur.
"It further said the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will not decide the results in 2024, but people will. If there is an EVM 'scam', then there will be a Manipur-like situation in the country, such is the anger among people against the government, the editorial claimed," PTI reported the editorial as saying.
Over the years, Opposition leaders have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of tampering EVMs to win elections but such claims have not been proven and claims, like the ones made at a press conference in London, have been debunked.
