"Assembly speaker is behaving like someone giving refuge to murderer": Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has criticized Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, alleging that his actions resemble sheltering a criminal to encourage further wrongdoing. Raut's remarks follow the Supreme Court's recent reprimand of Narwekar for delays in handling 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. The Sena (UBT) MP said the apex had never taken a stand that it took on Friday, a reference to its strictures against the speaker.

He 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 CM Shinde and Shiv Sena MLAs loyal to him Friday came under strict scrutiny by the Supreme Court 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 D Y Chandrachud and justices J B 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, 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.