A day after Speaker Rahul Narwekar declared the ruling Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the ‘real’ one, Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said that the Speaker’s verdict left no doubt that Maharashtra would continue to have a stable government that would complete its full term.
Speaking along the sidelines of his tour to Sambhajinagar district, Mr. Fadnavis lauded Mr. Narwekar for pronouncing “a reasoned judgement” in the case while criticising the rival Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) faction for making “needless accusations” against the Speaker.
“I am satisfied that the Speaker has given an extremely reasoned, legal verdict in this matter. There should now be no doubts left about Maharashtra having a stable government which would complete its full term,” said Mr. Fadnavis, lauding Mr. Narwekar’s handling of the disqualification cross-petitions filed by both Sena factions after Mr. Thackeray’s government was toppled by Mr. Shinde’s revolt in June 2022.
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Responding to the Thackeray faction’s allegations against Mr. Narwekar, Mr. Fadnavis said: “Those who do not understand the law nor follow it keep making such accusations. These are the same people who will even accuse the Supreme Court if the verdict goes against them. So, I am not surprised that they are casting aspersions on the Speaker’s verdict.”
‘No legitimacy given to Sena (UBT)‘
The Deputy Chief Minister further said that just because Mr. Narwekar had not disqualified the MLAs of the Sena (UBT) did not mean that he had accorded legitimacy to Mr. Thackeray’s faction.
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“The Speaker has given the Thackeray faction the benefit owing to certain technical reasons. This does not mean he has declared the Sena (UBT) as the legitimate Shiv Sena. He has held the Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena in a very clear and comprehensive manner,” said Mr. Fadnavis.
On the Shiv Sena (UBT) planning to move the Supreme Court to challenge Mr. Narwekar’s verdict, Mr. Fadnavis merely remarked that everybody had the right to move the top court.
Fixed match, says Sanjay Raut
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Sena (UBT) leader and Mr. Thackeray’s confidant Sanjay Raut lashed out against Mr. Narwekar for behaving like a lawyer for the Shinde group, while dubbing the Speaker’s verdict “a fixed match” that was hardly surprising.
“The Speaker has mangled the Constitution to give legitimacy to a faction of thieves [Shinde-led Sena],” said Mr. Raut.
He remarked that the Supreme Court had given the responsibility on the Speaker to act as a tribunal and give justice in the case.
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“But the Speaker has worked as a lawyer of the Shinde faction. It was as if advocate Narwekar was pleading for the Shinde group. He has behaved like a BJP worker. This is a serious matter,” Mr. Raut remarked.
Expressing hope that justice would be secured in the Supreme Court, Mr. Raut accused the ruling BJP of turning even the top court’s strictures upside down.
“The Supreme Court had declared [Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader] Bharat Gogawale’s appointment as the chief whip as ‘illegal.’ The BJP has managed to turn even the SC’s judgment upside down. We will surely move the SC and I’m confident Maharashtra will be able to see the victory of justice in there,” said the Sena (UBT) MP.
