Mumbai: Uddhav Thackeray’s close aide Sanjay Raut is facing a breach of privilege motion for terming the state legislature a place where “chor mandal (group of thieves)” assembled. At the same time, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde may also be looking at a similar notice for calling opposition leaders “deshdrohi (anti-national)”.
Ruckus over remarks by Raut and Shinde led to both Houses of the state legislature being adjourned for the day on the third day of the ongoing budget session.
In the Lower House, Atul Bhatkhalkar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Kandivali East, submitted a breach of privilege notice to Speaker Rahul Narvekar against Raut.
Raut, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Rajya Sabha MP, while speaking to the media Wednesday morning had termed the Maharashtra legislature a place where “chor mandal (group of thieves)” assembled.
Bhatkalkar demanded that the notice be sent to the breach of privilege committee, heard, and adjudicated on the same day before the Lower House can resume its work for the day. “I have the video clip with me where he (Raut) has spoken to a TV news channel and called the assembly a ‘house of thieves’ and also called it ‘a house of goons’,” Bhatkalkar said.
Speaking on the floor of the Lower House, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar alleged that Raut’s remarks amounted to “Maharashtra droh (treachery against Maharashtra)”.
“Is there a Dawood in this House? The opposition does not call Dawood a thief but it calls members of this assembly thieves! This is an insult to Maharashtra, it is an anti-Maharashtra act. This is a place where laws are made to book thieves. The speaker is a member of this assembly and all opposition leaders are also its members. They should take pride in it. I am requesting strict action should be taken against him (Raut),” Shelar said.
Besides the BJP, Raut’s remarks also seem to have rattled opposition parties like the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) which are allied with the Thackeray-led faction of the Sena.
“No one has the right to call us thieves. Each MLA represents five lakh people of Maharashtra. If this has been said, we must verify the truth of the matter, and then the House can take necessary action against the persons involved,” leader of opposition Ajit Pawar said on the floor of the House.
Later in the day, the speaker ordered an inquiry into Raut’s remarks and sought a report in this regard by Friday. Narvekar is expected to deliver his ruling on the matter on 8 March.
Meanwhile, in the Upper House, leader of opposition Ambadas Danve of Shiv Sena (UBT) gave a breach of privilege notice against CM Eknath Shinde for describing opposition leaders as “anti-national”.
Shinde, during a press conference Sunday, had reportedly described the opposition as “deshdrohi (anti-nationals)” for boycotting the customary all-party tea session organised by the government ahead of the budget session.
Sources from the Shiv Sena (UBT) said they had sought a discussion on Shinde’s remarks on both Monday and Tuesday but to no success. This is what prompted them to submit a breach of privilege notice against the CM.
Vilas Potnis, proposed chief whip of the Sena (UBT) in the legislative council, said, “We have given a notice of breach of privilege against the CM today and will move it tomorrow in the House. We wanted to give it yesterday but couldn’t. This is not a reaction to the Sanjay Raut case.”
The notice will be taken up for consideration in the Upper House by deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe Thursday.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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