Will not be influenced by oppn remarks over disqualification petitions: Maharashtra speaker

Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. File Pic

Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar on Monday asserted he will take decisions regarding disqualification petitions pending before him as per the law and constitutional provisions, and will not be influenced by remarks made against him over the issue.

Narwekar's office has received disqualification petitions from rival factions of the Shiv Sena, which suffered a split following a revolt last year. The Sharad Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has also moved the speaker's office with disqualification petitions against Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and party MLAs loyal to him.

Asked whether he is being pressurized with remarks by the opposition, the speaker said there may be an effort to exert pressure on him in giving judgments on disqualification petitions, but clarified such comments do not affect him.

"Whatever decisions I take, they will be as per the law and as per provisions of the Constitution. Such statements do not put any pressure on me as the speaker of the legislative assembly. I do not attach any importance to such pressure tactics," Narwekar told reporters in Pune.

Asked about delay in deciding on disqualification of MLAs, the speaker said he needs adequate time for adjudication on the pleas.

"We have to decide on various contentious issues. Need to see which is the original political party? Who was the person authorized to issue a whip? If we deliver a decision without giving an opportunity to all those concerned and without following the principles of natural justice, it would be arbitrary," he said.

Asked about some petitioners approaching the Supreme Court, Narwekar said anyone can go to the SC and file a petition.

"It does not mean whatever a petitioner is stating in the petition is true. This is a process, and we should allow the court to do its work. We should allow the speaker to function, and this is called parliamentary democracy," he maintained.

On September 18, the apex court had asked Narwekar to fix a timeline within a week for adjudication of the disqualification petitions filed against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena MLAs loyal to him who had tied up with the BJP to form a new government in June 2022.

In July, the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction had moved the assembly speaker seeking disqualification of Ajit Pawar and eight other MLAs, who had taken oath as ministers of the Shinde government. Ajit Pawar, then-the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, had rebelled against Sharad Pawar and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on July 2 along with eight other MLAs.

On Monday, the SC said it will hear on October 13 a plea by the Sharad Pawar-led faction of NCP for a direction to the speaker to expeditiously decide the disqualification petitions against Ajit Pawar and party MLAs loyal to him.

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