With Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar declaring the Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the “real political party”, the faction led by Uddhav Thackeray Wednesday alleged that the verdict was “dictated and planted by the Gujarat lobby who had taken an oath to finish off the Sena founded by Balasaheb Thackeray.” The Sena (UBT) said it will approach the Supreme Court against the verdict. “The Gujarat lobby today had its way. It got the verdict it wanted planted through Rahul Narwekar who played into their hands and embarrassed the people of Maharashtra. The Gujarat lobby and their masters in Delhi want to see the end of Shiv Sena founded by Balasaheb Thackeray,” Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut told The Indian Express. “They might have succeeded today in getting a favourable judgement which was scripted and planted by them. But they will never be able to finish off the Shiv Sena of Balasaheb Thackeray,” he added. Stating that they were not shaken by the verdict, Raut said they knew it was coming. Referring to the Speaker meeting the Chief Minister days before the verdict, Raut said: “It was match-fixing. We already said this repeatedly. When a person who is heading the tribunal on the directives of the Supreme Court goes and meets the accused in the case, how can you rely him for delivering an impartial judgment. Narwekar had violated the Constitutional and legal ethics. We are sure the Supreme Court will rebut his judgment and reprimand him for trying to trample upon the Constitutional ethics and letting down the dignity of the constitutional post that he held,” he said. “Our fight will continue in the Supreme Court. We are fully confident of getting justice in the apex court. We have full faith in the highest judiciary,” the Sena UBT leader said. Raut further said Narwekar was working in his capacity as judicial decision making authority but forgot that role. “Narwekar had a good opportunity to create history by giving a balanced and well-thought out judgment. But he backstabbed Maharashtra. While delivering the judgement, he read everything as he was arguing strongly in favour of the Shinde faction. Every line and sentence he spoke clearly smacked of an argument made by an advocate in favour of his client,” he said. Raut alleged that the Shinde faction tried to “send the Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray to exile at BJP’s behest.” “These people (Shinde Sena) have no right to take the name of Lord Ram. Lord Ram went for 'vanvaas' (exile) for the sake of his father. But these people have tried to send Balasaheb Thackeray's Sena to exile at the behest of BJP. They are the slaves of BJP,” he alleged.
