Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut. file | Photo Credit: ANI
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday launched a massive campaign against Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar, questioning whether the Supreme Court verdict in the much-awaited verdict on Speaker 16’s disqualification petition was ‘influenced’. trying to do. MLAs of the ruling Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.
Mr Raut pointed to the recent “closed-door meeting” with Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on May 2 and also criticized the Speaker’s visit to London on May 11 – just when the Supreme Court was about to deliver its verdict Was.
“Does Rahul Narvekar already know about the Supreme Court’s decision on disqualification of MLAs after meeting the Law Minister for more than three hours? Is this the reason why he is visiting London at this time when the Supreme Court verdict is about to come?” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.
Mr Narvekar has clarified that his London schedule was pre-planned and had nothing to do with the timing of the Supreme Court judgement.
Mr. Raut said that this judgment would prove whether the Indian judiciary was truly independent or was working under someone’s pressure.
He said, ‘Today Pakistan is burning because it is not working according to its constitution. While we believe in the Constitution and justice, the Shinde camp’s certainty that the verdict will be in their favor smacks of behind-the-scenes mischief. Although we [Sena (UBT)] Not saying that the verdict will come in our favour, the moment anyone says with confidence that the verdict will be in their favour, it means that somewhere some wrong has been done,” alleged the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader.
Earlier, Mr Narvekar had said that the disqualification of legislators for violating the anti-defection law is entirely within the Speaker’s domain and no other body can interfere in this authority.
Mr Raut expressed displeasure over the speaker’s remarks, saying the Uddhav Thackeray camp believed in the country’s constitution, but there was a sense of doubt about the outcome.
He further claimed that the decision to disqualify or not to disqualify the MLAs was actually taken by Narhari Zirwal, who was acting president at the time of Mr Shinde’s inter-party rebellion that split the Shiv Sena in June last year.
The Sena (UBT) leader also hit out at PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for abandoning riot-hit Manipur and instead spending their time campaigning for the Karnataka elections.
Claiming that the BJP would lose badly in Karnataka, he said the results would be an indicator of the BJP’s fortunes in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“Karnataka is an important state. This is the only state in the BJP’s kitty in the south. From Modi to Amit Shah, the entire Union Cabinet campaigned there, spending huge sums of money. He also invoked the name of Bajrangbali [Lord Hanuman’s name]… But Bajrang Bali will strike the BJP with his mace and put this party in its rightful place,” Mr. Raut said.