Following Opposition leader Fadnavis' remarks over Savarkar, Speaker Nana Patole gave directions to exclude them from house records
BJP MLAs take part in a demonstration against the state government on the issue of Sawarkar on the first day of the Winter Session of Maharashtra state assembly at Vidhan Bhawan, in Nagpur on Monday. Pic/PTI
The Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha was force-stopped on Monday in protest of the Speaker's decision of expunging a portion of the opposition leader's speech on the very first day of the winter session.
After the lower house congratulated Chief Justice of India Sharad Bobade, a Nagpur native, opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis rose to remind Speaker Nana Patole of his notices to speak on the farmers' issues and a controversy over the remarks on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. However, Patole gave directions for not taking the BJP leader's 'praise' of Savarkar on record.
Wearing 'I'm Savarkar' caps, BJP members protested and demanded the revocation of the Speaker's decision and an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for making 'unsavoury remarks' on Savarkar. They raised slogans and displayed banners in the well of the house. The Assembly was adjourned for 10 minutes initially and then adjourned for the day after it resumed.
While the opposition benches protested, the official business, including supplementary demands of R16,000 crore took place and some ordinances were introduced. Later, Fadnavis told media persons that the Speaker's decision amounted to an unprecedented injustice to the opposition which he said hadn't made unparliamentary statements but described Savarkar's role in India's freedom struggle. Fadnavis said whatever he said should be part of the house proceedings.
"What shocked us was the CM and Shiv Sena's silence in the house. I wonder whether we were in the Maharashtra Assembly or the British Parliament. Where are we expected to speak on Savarkar? How could praise to Veer Savarkar be removed from the proceedings? The Sena's lachari was evident because it did not say a word when the Speaker expunged the statements. We will not stop protesting until and unless Rahul Gandhi tenders an apology," said Fadnavis.
In response, former CM and Congress leader Ashok Chavan said the BJP was baseless in its charge against Rahul Gandhi. "They are trying to defame our leader for no reason. Whatever Rahul ji said in a Jharkhand rally was taken out of context by the BJP. Rahul ji has opened a front to attack the BJP for its failure in controlling heinous crimes like rape. This isn't for the first time that the BJP has created a storm over historic personalities for deriving political mileage," he said, alleging that the BJP wanted to wipe out the memory of late Indira Gandhi who helped create Bangladesh on this very day (December 16), by creating a ruckus in the house.
Dec 16
Day Bangladesh was created
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