The Supreme Court of India on Monday rebuked the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker for 'sitting on disqualification pleas' of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and other 56 Shiv Sena rebel MLAs. The apex court has asked the Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly to list before him for hearing the disqualification petitions within a week and set down a time schedule to decide disqualification pleas.
The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud flagged the delay in decision and said the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar is bound to abide by the dignity of the Supreme Court.
“Speaker has to honour dignity of Supreme Court", said CJI DY Chandrachud over the delay in deciding pleas for disqualification of Shiv Sena MLAs.
The apex court sought for a timeline on the hearing on the disqualification petitions, even as Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argues that the Speaker “cannot be treated like a school child".
Supreme Court further condemned the delay in decision of plea against the disqualification of CM Eknath Shinde and other Shiv Sena rebel MLAs and said it expects deference, dignity to directions issued by it while pronouncing verdict on Maharashtra political row.
The Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena had filed disqualification petitions against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other MLAs, including some cabinet ministers.
The Balasahebanchi Shivsena was formed after a split in the Shiv Sena party due to an rebellion led by now CM Eknath Shinde in 2022.
Shinde boasted of support from majority MLAs in then undivided Shiv Sena, which uktimately led to the downfall of the Uddhav Thackeray governemnt paving way for Shinde to takeover as Chief Minister in coalition with Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) with Devendra Fadnavis as the deputy CM of Maharashtra.
The duo was joined by another rebel leader, Ajit Pawar of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2023, who went on to take oath as the second Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut accused Maharashtra speaker Rahul Narwekar of deliberately delaying a decision on disqualification petitions filed against MLAs from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's camp by the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction.
This inaction shows Narwekar is supporting the "unconstitutional" government, he alleged while speaking to reporters.
He said the Supreme Court has made it clear that some MLAs of a political party switching to another party does not mean a split.
"Despite a clear directive from the Supreme Court, the speaker is wasting time when it comes to deciding on the disqualification petitions. He is supporting the unconstitutional government in the state," Raut alleged.
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