Ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray slammed Speaker Rahul Narwekar Tuesday, and his Shiv Sena (UBT) moved the Supreme Courtroom (once more), after visuals of the latter’s weekend assembly with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at his official residence went viral. The 2 additionally met in October.
The conduct of the Speaker – who on Wednesday will rule on petitions filed by rival factions of the Sena, one led by Mr Thackeray and the opposite by Mr Shinde, every searching for disqualification of MLAs from the opposite aspect – was criticised, notably since one petition is towards the Chief Minister.
In an affidavit filed within the Supreme Courtroom, the Sena (UBT) group stated it was ”improper” of Mr Narwekar to satisfy Mr Shinde three days earlier than his verdict on the disqualification petitions.
”How can the ’choose’ in any case meet one of many events (in non-public) earlier than giving the judgement?” the Uddhav Thackeray camp requested the courtroom, including, ”It’s extremely inappropriate…”
”Underneath the Tenth Schedule, the Speaker, as adjudicating authority should act in a good and neutral method. Speaker’s conduct should encourage confidence… nevertheless, his present actions increase questions concerning the equity and impartiality of decision-making course of,” the Sena (UBT) group stated.
READ | Maharashtra Speaker To Give Verdict On Disqualification Requests On Jan 10
The Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena responded by way of spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat, who advised NDTV there was no purpose why Mr Shinde and Mr Narwekar couldn’t meet. ”He’s the Chief Minister… there isn’t a 302 case (referring to the IPC part invoked in homicide instances)… anybody can meet him.”
Rahul Narwekar’s ruling on the disqualification petitions – anticipated at 4 pm on Wednesday – will add one other chapter to the political disaster in Maharashtra, which started in June final yr after Mr Shinde and a bunch of MLAs defected to the BJP, bringing down the Uddhav Thackeray-led authorities.
Mr Narwekar had been given a December 31 deadline by the Supreme Courtroom to announce his verdict on the petitions, however shortly earlier than that date the Speaker’s workplace wrangled a 10-day extension, claiming ”lakhs of pages of paperwork” nonetheless needed to be learn and analysed earlier than a remaining resolution.
READ | Dec 31 Deadline For Maharashtra Speaker To Rule On Disqualifications
The courtroom had warned Mr Narwekar – who initially sought time until February 29, months earlier than the state holds one other Meeting election – towards persevering with to stall this matter, notably because it had advised him, on Might 11 of final yr, to rule on the varied petitions inside a ”cheap time”.
READ | ”Cannot Drag On Indefinitely”: Supreme Courtroom In Sena vs Sena Case
Cross-petitions – 34 of them – have been filed by the Thackeray and Shinde factions of the Shiv Sena, in addition to Sharad Pawar’s NCP, demanding the disqualification of 56 Maharashtra lawmakers.
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