"Constitution Has Been Trampled Upon": Team Uddhav On Speaker's Verdict

The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday targeted Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar for recognising Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led party as the "real" Shiv Sena, claiming the Constitution has been trampled upon by recognising a "gang of thieves".

The people of the state will not forgive those behind this, an editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' said while also targeting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Addressing a news conference in Mumbai, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed Mr Narwekar was entrusted with doing justice, but he acted as Mr Shinde's lawyer.

In a big political win for Mr Shinde, Mr Narwekar on Wednesday held that the Shiv Sena faction led by him was the "real political party" when rival groups emerged in June 2022, and did not disqualify any MLA from the two camps.

The ruling cemented Mr Shinde place in the top job, 18 months after his rebellion, and added to his political heft in the ruling coalition which also consists of the BJP and the NCP (Ajit Pawar group) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Targeting Mr Narwekar, the editorial in 'Saamana' claimed, "The Constitution has been trampled upon by recognising the gang of thieves." The speaker's order was pre-decided, it further claimed, adding that there was nothing to be shocked about it.

"The lengthy decision by him was written by his bosses in Delhi," the Marathi daily said.

It alleged that the speaker's decision to hand over Bal Thackeray's Shiv Sena to "traitors" amounts to indulging in "dishonesty with Maharashtra".

Mr Narwekar had a chance to create history, but he gave a decision that has "blackened" the face of democracy, the editorial said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Mr Raut said the decision was expected and claimed there was "match-fixing".

"There is anger in the minds of people. The Supreme Court had given the responsibility of doing justice, but Mr Narwekar acted as Mr Shinde's lawyer. It was advocate Narwekar pleading for Mr Shinde's group," he claimed.

Mr Narwekar's refusal to accept the 2018 constitution of the party is wrong as it has been placed before the Supreme Court, Mr Raut said.

"Narwekar acted as a worker of the BJP and not as the tribunal," Mr Raut claimed, adding that his party would approach the Supreme Court in the matter. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)