The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea seeking imposition of President’s rule in Maharashtra. The petition, which was filed by three Delhi residents, sought President’s rule in the state and dismissal of Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Rejecting the plea, Chief Justice of India SA Bobde told the petitioners, “You can ask the President.” The court disapproved the petitioners for singling out Maharashtra alone. “You know how big Maharashtra is?” the CJI asked them while dismissing the plea.
The plea, filed by advocates Rishab Jain and Gautam Sharma and social worker Vikram Gahlot, alleged deterioration in the law and order situation in Maharashtra. They mentioned Bollywood actor’s Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, the row over the demolition of Kangana Ranaut’s bungalow, and the attack on former Indian Navy officer Madan Lal Sharma to support their plea.
“On the contrary, when the state machinery allows itself to be used as a band of persons out to throw law to the winds and take to oppressive activities at the instance of the ruling dispensation which shows and establishes a failure of the constitutional machinery and require imposing of President’s rule in the state,” petitioners said in their plea.
The petitioners had also said if not the whole state, at least Mumbai and its neighbouring districts should be controlled by armed forces. “Declare a state of emergency Maharashtra, and in any case in the city of Mumbai and neighbouring districts as a grave threat to the security of citizens residing there has arisen due to direct conduct of the present government, and bring it under the rule of armed forces to assist the civil administration,” they said.
{{/usCountry}}The petitioners had also said if not the whole state, at least Mumbai and its neighbouring districts should be controlled by armed forces. “Declare a state of emergency Maharashtra, and in any case in the city of Mumbai and neighbouring districts as a grave threat to the security of citizens residing there has arisen due to direct conduct of the present government, and bring it under the rule of armed forces to assist the civil administration,” they said.
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