Victory of Bal Thackeray's Hindutva: Eknath Shinde on SC relief

Mumbai: Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Monday termed the relief by the Supreme Court to him and other dissident Sena lawmakers as the victory of Bal Thackeray's Hindutva and the ideals of his mentor Anand Dighe.

The Supreme Court has kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings before the Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly till July 11 and sought responses to pleas by rebel MLAs questioning the legality of notices seeking their disqualification.

The top court also refused to pass any interim order on the plea of the Maharashtra government that there should not be any floor test in the Assembly and said they can always approach it in case of illegality.

“This is the victory of Hindu hridaysamrat Balasaheb's Hindutva and the ideals of (the late) Dharamaveer Anand Dighe,” tweeted Shinde, who is camping with the dissident MLAs in Guwahati.

हा वंदनीय हिंदुहृदयसम्राट शिवसेनाप्रमुख बाळासाहेब ठाकरे यांच्या हिंदुत्वाचा आणि धर्मवीर आनंद दिघे साहेबांच्या विचारांचा विजय..!#realshivsenawins

— Eknath Shinde - एकनाथ शिंदे (@mieknathshinde) June 27, 2022

In Thane, Shinde's son and party MP Shrikant Shinde said Maharashtra Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal had sent the disqualification notice to his father and 15 other dissident legislators under pressure which is evident from the supreme court order.

“The speaker has rights in the Assembly. He has the power if anyone goes against the whip in the legislature. It does not apply to anyone not coming for any meeting. The 'tughlaqi farman' (the disqualification notice) was issued (by him) under pressure and the court has shown that today,” the Kalyan MP said.

Shinde and a sizable number of MLAs rebelled against the leadership of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on June 21 and are currently in Guwahati in Assam.

Their main demand is that the Sena withdraws from the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, which also comprises the Congress and NCP. Shinde moved the Supreme Court on Sunday against the disqualification notice issued by the deputy speaker to him and 15 other rebel legislators, calling the action "illegal and unconstitutional" and seeking a stay on it.

The petition had sought directions to the deputy speaker to not take any action in the Disqualification Petition under Rule 6 of MLA Defection Rules pending before the Speaker of Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly and not take any action on the same until the resolution for removal of deputy speaker is decided.

The Maharashtra legislature secretariat on Saturday issued "summons" to 16 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, including Shinde, seeking written replies by the evening of June 27 to the complaints seeking their disqualification.