SC would intervene only if unconstitutional decision is taken, says Rahul Narwekar

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Monday stated that the Supreme Court would only step in and intervene in a legislative decision if that decision  is unconstitutional or it bypasses the law.

Narwekar was responding to a question by reporters here on petitions filed before the Supreme Court to seek disqualification of the Shiv Sena MLAs who left the Uddhav Thackeray camp in June last year. 

Supreme Court will take action on the petitions filed before it. If a decision is unconstitutional or it bypasses the law, then only the SC would intervene. Otherwise, the Supreme Court will not interfere in the functioning of other institutions, Narwekar said. He said the legislature, judiciary and executive are the three bodies which are equal to each other. No one superintends another, it is called constitutional discipline, he said.

Asked about claims made against his office over the alleged delay in hearing of petitions against 16 Shiv Sena MLAs (including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde) Narwekar said, I have told many times that no allegations made outside the legislative House will be taken seriously. I do not give any importance to it.

I will not succumb to any pressure from the people who make allegations and try to mount pressure on me. There is no meaning of giving importance to the people who do not have knowledge of the Constitution or disqualification of members on the grounds of defection rules-1986, he said. 

A revolt led by Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde against the party leadership in June last year led to a split in the Sena and collapse of the Thackeray-headed Maha Vikas Aghadi government. The breakaway faction under Shinde then tied up with the BJP to form a new government. The two rival Sena factions had filed disqualification pleas against each other after Shinde and 39 MLAs broke away from the original party last year.