Shelar says that the SC had first asked the MLAs to approach the legislature to get their suspension withdrawn but no action was initiated during the Assembly session (File) A day after presiding officers of the Maharashtra Assembly and the legislative council met President Ramnath Kovind to ask for a presidential reference on the Supreme Court order revoking 12 MLAs’ suspension, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar said their request did not make sense and sought to “clarify” that it was the apex court, not the Assembly, that gave the suspended lawmakers the relief.
“I thank the Assembly’s deputy speaker, Narhari Zhirwal, and the legislative council’s chairman, Ramraje Nimbalkar, and deputy chairman Neelam Gorhe for accepting the court verdict and announcing the cancellation of the suspension of 12 MLAs on Friday,” the former minister said on Saturday.
Stating that the developments had “badly bruised the Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s ego”, Shelar said the Opposition “would like to humbly and politely clarify” that the court had ruled the suspension as “irrational, illegal and unconstitutional”.
The Assembly deputy speaker and the chairman and deputy chairperson of the legislative council told Kovind the Supreme Court had overstepped its brief and that the verdict should be sent to a larger bench under Article 143 of the Constitution.
“Today we are humbly defending our stance to ensure there is no misunderstanding.”
On the legislature’s request for a presidential reference, he said the opportunity had been lost. “The Supreme Court had not only given the MLAs an opportunity but also asked the legislature to put forth its stance. But they failed to make the best of the opportunity. So their claim that the court is interfering in the matters of the legislature does not make sense as the court had given them the opportunity,” he said. “And now they have missed the boat and lost their right to make such a demand.”
Shelar further explained that the court had first asked the MLAs to approach the legislature to get their suspension withdrawn but no action was initiated during the Assembly session. “Unfortunately, a hearing was held after the conclusion of the session, which was of no use,” said the BJP leader.
The 12 BJP MLAs were suspended from the Assembly on July 5, 2021 for misbehaviour. The government had passed a resolution suspending them for one year.
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