Maharashtra: 12 BJP MLAs suspended for allegedly abusing Assembly Speaker
Twelve MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have been suspended from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for one year for allegedly abusing the presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav. BJP leaders, however, said the allegations are false and the Speaker-in-chair did not give them enough time to speak on the issue of OBC reservations. The suspended members later went to meet State Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
"The Opposition leaders came to my cabin and abused me using unparliamentary language in front of Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and senior leader Chandrakant Patil. Some leaders even manhandled me," Jadhav told the media after the incident. BJP leaders, on the other hand, alleged that Jadhav had abused the leaders who had gone to meet him.
The Assembly saw two adjournments over the issue, according to reports. Jadhav asked the state's Parliamentary Affairs Minister to investigate the matter. Thereafter, Anil Parab, the Minister, moved a motion to suspend 12 BJP members, which was passed by a voice vote. Leader of Opposition, Devendra Fadnavis, said it was the state government's tactic of reducing BJP members in the Assembly.
The 12 MLAs who have been suspended include Sanjay Kute, Ashish Shelar, Abhimanyu Pawar, Girish Mahajan, Atul Bhatkalkar, Parag Alavni, Harish Pimpale, Ram Satpute, Vijay Kumar Rawal, Yogesh Sagar, Narayan Kuche, and Kirtikumar Bangdia.
This is how it all started. BJP leaders stormed into #Maharashtra #Assembly #Speakers #Chamber. During first day of Assembly session pic.twitter.com/Z2NjIjwckv
— Nawab Malik نواب ملک नवाब मलिक (@nawabmalikncp) July 5, 2021
"For OBC (Other Backward Castes) reservations, we are ready to sacrifice more than 12 MLAs," Fadnavis said today. The Opposition is raising the issue of quashing of caste quotas for the Marathas and OBCs by the Supreme Court during the Monsoon Session, which commenced today. "The government thinks we will bring out their shortcomings and that is why action has been taken," Fadnavis added.
"This government is acting like Taliban. I condemn the action. Neither me nor any other MLAs abused Bhaskar Jadhav," BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said. "None of the BJP members used abuses in the cabin. I even apologized to him but despite that, they suspended us." The Maharashtra Assembly has to pick a new Speaker as former Speaker Nana Patole has resigned from the post.
The development came a day after Fadnavis said the BJP and Sena "were never enemies." "They were our friends and people whom they fought against, they formed a government with them and they left us," he said. There have been reports of a possible reunion between the two parties, that were once allies. However, Sena has been rejecting such reports.
