SC issues notice on pleas of 12 Maharashtra BJP MLAs against one-year suspension from state legislative assembly

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notices to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and others on pleas of 12 BJP MLAs from Maharashtra challenging their one-year suspension from the state Legislative Assembly for allegedly misbehaving with the presiding officer.

A Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar agreed to examine the issue and sought responses from Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and the State and posted the matter for further hearing on January 11, 2022.

The top court granted liberty to the petitioners to urge the House to reduce the suspension even during the pendency of this petition.

The Bench said, "Needless to observe that pendency of these petitions will not come in the way of the petitioners to explore the possibility of urging upon the House to reconsider the decision impugned in these writ petitions at least to the extent of reducing the term specified therein. That is a matter which can be considered by the House if so advised."

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government led by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is slated to hold the winter session of the state assembly between December 22 and 28 in Mumbai.

12 BJP MLAs were suspended on July 5 from the Assembly after the state government had accused them of "misbehaving" with presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav in the Speaker's chamber. The motion to suspend these MLAs was moved by state Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab and passed by a voice vote.

On July 22 they had filed the plea in the top court challenging the resolution passed by the Assembly d suspend them for one year.

The 12 suspended members are- Sanjay Kute, Ashish Shelar, Abhimanyu Pawar, Girish Mahajan, Atul Bhatkhalkar, Parag Alavani, Harish Pimpale, Yogesh Sagar, Jay Kumar Rawat, Narayan Kuche, Ram Satpute and Bunty Bhangdia.

( With inputs from ANI )

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