'Constitution trampled upon': 'Saamana' after Speaker's ruling in Shiv Sena split case

Mumbai, Jan 11 (PTI) The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday targeted Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar for recognising Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led party as the "real" Shiv Sena, claiming the Constitution has been trampled upon by recognising a "gang of thieves".

The people of the state will not forgive those behind this, an editorial in the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece 'Saamana' said while also targeting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Addressing a news conference here, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed Narwekar was entrusted with doing justice, but he acted as Shinde's lawyer.

In a big political win for Shinde, Narwekar on Wednesday held that the Shiv Sena faction led by him was the "real political party" when rival groups emerged in June 2022, and did not disqualify any MLA from the two camps.

The ruling cemented Shinde place in the top job, 18 months after his rebellion, and added to his political heft in the ruling coalition which also consists of the BJP and the NCP (Ajit Pawar group) ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Targeting Narwekar, the editorial in 'Saamana' claimed, "The Constitution has been trampled upon by recognising the gang of thieves." The speaker's order was pre-decided, it further claimed, adding that there was nothing to be shocked about it.

"The lengthy decision by him was written by his bosses in Delhi," the Marathi daily said.

It alleged that the speaker's decision to hand over Bal Thackeray's Shiv Sena to "traitors" amounts to indulging in "dishonesty with Maharashtra".

Narwekar had a chance to create history, but he gave a decision that has "blackened" the face of democracy, the editorial said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Raut said the decision was expected and claimed there was "match-fixing".

"There is anger in the minds of people. The Supreme Court had given the responsibility of doing justice, but Narwekar acted as Shinde's lawyer. It was advocate Narwekar pleading for Shinde's group," he claimed.

Narwekar's refusal to accept the 2018 constitution of the party is wrong as it has been placed before the Supreme Court, Raut said.

"Narwekar acted as a worker of the BJP and not as the tribunal," Raut claimed, adding that his party would approach the Supreme Court in the matter. PTI