Maharashtra Speaker behaving like someone giving refuge to murderer: Sanjay Raut

Hitting out at Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday (October 14) alleged that he is behaving like someone who gives refuge to a murderer to encourage the latter to commit more such crimes.

His comment came a day after the Supreme Court rapped Narwekar over the delay in taking a decision on the disqualification pleas of rebel Shiv Sena MLAs. “The speaker is working like someone giving refugee to a murderer to encourage him to commit more such crimes. Doesn't he know the law?” Raut said while speaking to reporters in Mumbai.

Referring to strictures against the speaker, the Rajya Sabha MP said the apex court had never taken the stand that it took on Friday (October 13). He also accused the speaker, the chief minister (Eknath Shinde) and his government of maligning the image of Maharashtra.

The delay in deciding the disqualification petitions against Chief Minister Shinde and Shiv Sena MLAs loyal to him came under the strict scrutiny of the Supreme Court on Friday (October 13), which came down hard on the assembly speaker, saying the proceedings cannot be a “charade” and he cannot “defeat” its orders.

A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing Speaker Rahul Narwekar, to apprise it about the timeline for deciding the petitions on Tuesday (October 17), saying it will pass a peremptory order if it is not satisfied.

The idea of laying down the time schedule was not to “indefinitely delay” the hearing on the disqualification proceedings, the court said.

(With agency inputs)