Mumbai, March 6 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Thursday accepted three separate privilege motions filed by Minister of Rural Development and BJP leader Jaykumar Gore against Saamna executive editor and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, NCP(SP) Legislator Rohit Pawar and YouTube channel Laibhari and the journalist Tushar Kharat for defaming and maligning his image by making allegations in connection with a 2017 case.
The Speaker, in his ruling, said that considering the seriousness of the matter, he was referring all three privilege motions to the House Privileges Committee.
Earlier, the Minister said he resorted to this move after he was accused of sending obscene photos to a woman in 2017 and allegedly harassing her. He said the court had already acquitted him in 2019, and it was quite serious that the matter had been raked up after eight years to target him by making false allegations. Gore said that Raut had maligned his image and insulted the state Assembly. Therefore, he added that he is moving a privilege motion against him.”
Similarly, the Minister said that Rohit Pawar has also damaged his image by making baseless allegations.
The Minister, in his privilege motion against YouTube channel Laibhari and journalist Tushar Kharat, said the press and media are the fourth pillar of democracy, and while writing or showing some stories, they should maintain some standards.
Gore urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was sitting in the state legislature, to hold a detailed inquiry into the matter. “If I am found guilty, I am prepared to face any action,” he told the House.
He referred to a representation made by someone to the Governor in this regard, saying that the government conducted the investigation, and it later came to light that the signatory of the representation has denied its signature in its confession to the Satara Superintendent of Police. He appealed to take the issue of submission of a fake letter as it was done with an intention to damage him and his family and demolish the leadership forever, which is quite dangerous.
“Some of the elected representatives, who are currently in the state Assembly and some outside the House, hatched a conspiracy against me after their loss in the state council elections. They lodged an offence against me. The issue was raked up again even as the ashes of father have yet to be immersed. They did not maintain any morality to wait for even 10 days after my father’s death but raised the eight-year-old issue now. This was to damage my leadership, and I rose to this position without any political background. I come from an ordinary family,” he said.
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