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Defer disqualification pleas against Uddhav, Shinde camps: SC to Maha Speaker
Maharashtra crisis: The Supreme Court had earlier scheduled the pleas for hearing on one day.
Amid chief minister Eknath Shinde vs Uddhav Thackeray, the Supreme Court has asked Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar to defer disqualification petitions pending against both the Shinde faction and the Thackeray camp.
On Monday, advocate Kapil Sibal - representing Team Uddhav - sought status quo on disqualification proceedings.
“Please, inform the assembly Speaker not to take up the disqualification petitions until this court hears the matter. Matters won't be listed tomorrow but inform the Speaker,” Chief Justice of India, NV Ramana, told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta who was in the court on behalf of the governor.
Ahead of the crucial hearings, the court was told that the newly-elected assembly speaker and BJP leader Rahul Narwekar was empowered in law to decide the disqualification petitions pending against state chief minister Eknath Shinde and other dissident MLAs of Shiv Sena. The secretary of the assembly said that the disqualification proceedings shall now be undertaken by the speaker and not the deputy speaker.
Last week, as Shinde proved his strength in the assembly, MLAs of the Uddhav camp were also threatened with disqualification.
Shinde's rebellion last month did not only lead to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government within two years but has also split Sena. Last week, Uddhav - in a dare - had said that nobody could take away the party's bow and arrow symbol. He had also called for fresh elections in the state.
Before the highly anticipated hearings, Shinde had also launched an attack on Uddhav on Sunday. “Some people think they are born to rule. I am not the one to have born with a golden spoon. They should have felt proud that a common man has assumed the chair. They are filing petitions in the night and early morning. But even the court knows. We have the majority numbers to rule. We haven’t done anything illegal,” he said in Pandharpur, without naming his predecessor.
