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Journalism of Courage
Senior BJP leader and Cabinet Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Tuesday said the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde is not going to be affected by the Supreme Court’s decision pertaining to the disqualification of 16 MLAs.
Mungantiwar, who holds the portfolios of cultural affairs, and forest and environment, said, “Whether an elected member should be disqualified or not, the decision rests with the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. Any decision regarding a member has to take place in the Legislative Assembly. The political party cannot disqualify its members for being absent in the party meeting.”
In an interactive session known as “Loksamvad” organised by Loksatta (Indian Express Group), Mungantiwar spoke at length about a host of issues but specially focussed on the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis led Maharastra government.
Mungantiwar trained guns at the Opposition parties, especially Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena (UBT), which have been going hammer and tongs against the BJP-Sena coalition government.
“Whenever a BJP leader speaks on the issue (disqualification of MLAs), our rivals raise a hue and cry as to how we can speak on matters which are pending before the court. Nobody questions the Opposition parties, which keep calling for the downfall of the current dispensation in Maharashtra,” said the senior BJP leader.
Speaking about the political scenario in 2019 where Devendra Fadnavis was made the Chief Minister with NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who was charged with the irrigation scam, as his deputy, Mungantiwar said, “In politics, decisions have to be taken as per circumstances. It was an exceptional case where the BJP had to take such a decision following the betrayal of Shiv Sena, which was led by Uddhav Thackeray at the time. It was planning an alternative government.”
“All questions are directed against the BJP. Nobody asks questions to those who betrayed their own parties or alliances… Nobody raised any question when Eknath Shinde was with Uddhav Thackeray,” said the minister.
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