Maharashtra: SC asks Assembly Speaker not to act on disqualification plea of Sena MLAs of Uddhav faction

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Maharashtra Assembly speaker not to proceed with the plea seeking disqualification of MLAs of Shiv Sena faction led by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

A bench comprising Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli took note of the submissions of senior advocates led by Kapil Sibal that the several pleas of the Uddhav faction were to be listed on Monday.

"The court had said that the petitions would be listed on July 11. I urge that there should be no disqualification till the matter is decided here", Sibal said.

The CJI asked the Solicitor General to inform the Assembly Speaker not to take any decision until the pleas are decided by the apex court.

"Please inform the Assembly Speaker not to take any decision until the plea is decided. Please inform the office through your office," the CJI told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who agreed to conveyt the message to the Speaker.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said his party has faith in the Supreme Court, which is hearing pleas challenging the disqualification notice issued to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other party MLAs, and that it is not a question about the survival of the Shinde government, but about the survival of democracy.

The question is not about the survival of Shinde govt... the larger question is about the survival of Democracy...

It's also a big test for the 'free and fair' Judiciary....!@LiveLawIndia @PMOIndia @priyankagandhi @MamataOfficial @indSupremeCourt @PawarSpeaks
@ pic.twitter.com/gMQNl2N6Ca

— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) July 11, 2022

“The question is not  about the survival of Shinde govt... the larger question is about the survival of Democracy... It's also a big test for the 'free and fair' Judiciary….!” Raut tweeted. 

On June 27, the top court granted interim relief to Shinde and other rebel MLAs to file their reply on disqualification notices issued to them by Deputy speaker by July 12. Earlier, Deputy speaker had granted them time to file a reply by June 27.