Mumbai Jan 28 PTI Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday welcomed the Supreme Courts judgement in which it termed the suspension of 12 BJP MLAs from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly as unconstitutional and irrational The Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly said the apex courts decision is another tight slap on the face of the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA government of Shiv Sena NCP and Congress for its unconstitutional unethical unfair illegal and undemocratic actions The Supreme Court on Friday held that a resolution suspending the 12 BJP MLAs beyond the period of the remainder of the session held in July 2021 is unconstitutional and irrational The top court delivered its verdict on the pleas filed by the 12 legislators who had challenged their one-year suspension from the state assembly They were suspended on July 5 last year from the Assembly after the state government accused them of misbehaving with presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav in the Speakers chamber Reacting to the apex courts judgement Fadnavis said in a tweet Satyameva Jayate We welcome and thank the Supreme Court for the historic decision of quashing suspension of our 12 BJP Maharashtra MLAs who were fighting for the cause of OBCs in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly during the monsoon session Apart from Ashish Shelar the BJPs chief whip in the Assembly others who were suspended were Sanjay Kute Abhimanyu Pawar Girish Mahajan Atul Bhatkhalkar Parag Alavani Harish Pimpale Yogesh Sagar Jay Kumar Rawal Narayan Kuche Ram Satpute and Bunty Bhangdia Fadnavis said the SC decision will save the democratic values and it is yet another tight slap on the face of MVA government for its unconstitutional unethical unfair illegal and undemocratic actions and activities I congratulate our BJP Maharashtra 12 MLAs for getting justice he added Since the beginning we were saying that it was completely unconstitutional and gross misuse of power to suspend our MLAs for such a long period to create artificial majority that too for no valid reason the Hon SC has upheld our stand the former chief minister said It was not only a question of these 12 MLAs but of more than 50 lakh citizens in these 12 constituencies he said Speaking about the development state minister Nawab Malik who is also the chief spokesperson of the NCP said The speaker of the legislative assembly will take a decision once the Supreme Courts written order is available The decision to suspend 12 MLAs of BJP was taken by the speaker and not by the government The secretariat of the Maharashtra Assembly will study the SC decision after which the speaker decide on that he said PTI ND NP NP

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

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 PTI MR NP NP