SC notice to Maharashtra Speaker on Thaackeray camp plea of deliberate delay in disqualification proceedings against CM Shinde, others

SC issues notice to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker in petition by Uddhav Thackeray loyalists accusing him of delaying disqualification proceedings against CM Eknath Shinde. Petitioners urge SC to direct Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions expeditiously or decide them itself.

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar in a petition filed by Uddhav Thackeray loyalists accusing him of deliberately delaying the disqualification proceedings pending against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for defection.

Appearing before a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, senior advocate Devadutt Kamat, for Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sunil Prabhu, said the Speaker had quickly issued notices after learning that the petition was filed in the apex court.

“We will issue notice. We will hear this after two weeks,” Chief Justice Chandrachud addressed Mr. Kamat.

The petition, which was filed in the top court amidst the churn in Maharashtra politics following Ajit Pawar’s split from NCP to join the Shinde cabinet as Deputy Chief Minister, said Speakers should “rise above their political affiliations” while performing the duties of the office.

It said Mr. Narwekar’s conduct had been in “brazen disregard” of his constitutional duties as a neutral arbiter under the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law) of the Constitution.

“It is imperative for this court to direct the Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions filed by the petitioner against delinquent members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly expeditiously and within a time-bound manner, or, alternatively, to decide the disqualification petitions itself,” the 406-page petition by Mr. Prabhu urged.

The Thackeray loyalists referred to the apex court’s own 2020 judgment in Keisham Meghachandra Singh V. Manipur Legislative Assembly, which had laid down that disqualification petitions under the Tenth Schedule should normally be decided within a period of three months from the date of their filing.