"Not interested in delay": Maharashtra speaker on disqualification pleas

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar has stated that he will not delay the decision regarding the disqualification pleas against Shiv Sena MLAs, but he will also not rush it to avoid the 'miscarriage of justice.'Narwekar was speaking to reporters on Monday evening after the Supreme Court directed him to spell out the timeline within a week for adjudication of the disqualification petitions filed against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Shiv Sena MLAs loyal to him. “I am not aware of it (SC comments). I am not interested in delaying this matter nor am I going to hurry which will result in a miscarriage of justice,” he said.

In its order on Monday, the court directed the Speaker to list the disqualification petitions no later than a week, ensure the case record is ready and chalk out a time schedule for the completion of the hearing and pronouncement of his decision.“The order of the Supreme Court requires the Speaker to decide the disqualification petitions within a reasonable period. While this court is cognisant of a need to ensure a sense of comity between the Speaker, who is the head of the Legislature Assembly, we would equally expect deference and dignity to be shown to the direction which have been issued by the Supreme Court in exercise of its constitutional power of judicial review,” a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said in the order.The court listed the case after two weeks. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Speaker, was directed to produce in court the time schedule. 

The top court noted that a total of 34 petitions filed by both groups of Shiv Sena against each other seeking the disqualification of 56 MLAs are pending before the Speaker.The court was hearing a plea filed in July by Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena seeking direction to the Speaker to take an expeditious decision on the disqualification petitions pending against rebel Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde. The plea was filed by MLA Sunil Prabhu of Uddhav Thackeray's group of Shiv Sena.