New Delhi [India], January 28 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Friday set aside the one-year suspension of 12 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs from Maharashtra from the state Legislative Assembly terming it "unconstitutional and arbitrary".

Mumbai Dec 24 PTI Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly Narhari Zirwal on Friday asked the legislature secretary not to respond to the Supreme Courts notice on a plea filed by 12 BJP MLAs challenging their one-year suspensionThe decision was in keeping with constitutional provisions as well as a resolution passed at a conference of presiding officers of state legislatures in 2007 experts saidThe 12 MLAs were suspended on July 5 2021 for allegedly misbehaving with then presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav in the Speakers chamberZirwal on Friday directed the state government to apprise the apex court of the developments which led to the action against these MLAsBJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar wondered how the government could hold Speakers election by keeping 12 voters suspendedLeader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis said the 12 legislators have applied to the Speakers office requesting that the action of suspension be reconsideredI hope their suspension is revoked before the Speakers election next week he saidZirwal said the legislature secretariat received the SC notice on December 21The suspended members are Sanjay Kute Ashish Shelar Abhimanyu Pawar Girish Mahajan Atul Bhatkhalkar Parag Alavani Harish Pimpale Yogesh Sagar Jay Kumar Rawal Narayan Kuche Ram Satpute and Bunty BhangdiaOn December 14 the Supreme Court sought response from the Maharashtra Assembly and state government on the petition filed by these MLAs who challenged their one-year suspensionThe apex court observed that the issues raised in the matter and arguments advanced by the petitioners as well as the state were debatable and require deeper considerationZirwals directive was in accordance with legislative norms said a legislature secretariat sourceSpeaking to PTI former principal secretary of the Maharashtra legislature Anant Kalse said the decision not to accept any notices from the Supreme Court or High Courts was taken during a conference of Assembly Speakers chaired by then Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee in 2007As per Article 212 of the Constitution courts shall not inquire into the proceedings of the legislature and the validity of any proceedings in the legislature of a state shall not be called in question on the ground of any alleged irregularity of procedure he saidThe Article also says that no officer or member of the legislature in whom powers are vested by or under Constitution for regulating procedure or conduct of business or for maintaining order in the legislature shall be subject to jurisdiction of any court he addedLast year both Houses of the Maharashtra legislature had passed resolutions that presiding officers will not respond to any notice or summons issued by the Supreme Court over a privilege case against Republic Media Networks editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami PTI MR NP KRK KRK KRK

Mumbai Dec 24 PTI Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Narhari Zirwal on Friday asked the legislature secretary not to respond to the Supreme Courts notice on the plea filed by 12 BJP MLAs challenging their one-year suspension The 12 legislators were suspended on July 5 this year after they allegedly misbehaved with presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav in the Speakers chamber Zirwal directed the government to apprise the apex court of the developments that led to the suspension of these BJP members BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar wondered how the government can hold speakers election by keeping 12 voters suspended Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis said the 12 legislators have applied to the speakers office requesting their suspension be reconsidered I hope their suspension is revoked before the speakers election next week he said Zirwal said that the SC notice was received by the legislature secretariat on December 21 The 12 suspended members are Sanjay Kute Ashish Shelar Abhimanyu Pawar Girish Mahajan Atul Bhatkhalkar Parag Alavani Harish Pimpale Yogesh Sagar Jay Kumar Rawal Narayan Kuche Ram Satpute and Bunty Bhangdia On December 14 the Supreme Court had sought responses from the Maharashtra legislative assembly and the state government on the pleas filed by these MLAs who have challenged their one-year suspension The apex court had observed that the issues raised in the matter and arguments advanced by the advocates appearing for the petitioners as well as the state are debatable and require deeper consideration Talking to PTI former principal secretary of the Maharashtra legislature Anant Kalse said the decision of not accepting any notice from the Supreme Court or high courts had been taken during a conference in 2007 that was chaired by the then Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee As per Article 212 of the Constitution courts shall not inquire into the proceedings of the legislature and the validity of any proceedings in the legislature of a state shall not be called in question on the ground of any alleged irregularity of procedure he said The Article also mentions that no officer or member of the legislature in whom powers are vested by or under constitution for regulating procedure or conduct of business or for maintaining order in the legislature shall be subject to jurisdiction of any court he said Last year both the Houses of the Maharashtra legislature had passed resolutions that the presiding officers will not respond to any notice or summons issued by the Supreme Court in the privilege case against Republic Media Networks editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami PTI MR NP NP

New Delhi [India], December 14 (ANI): 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.