Maharashtra: 12 BJP MLAs suspended for one year

Twelve Bharatiya Janata Party MLAs were suspended on Monday on the charges of creating a ruckus in the House and misbehaving with presiding officer Bhaskar Jadhav Jadhav alleged that the legislators verbally abused and manhandled him while he was seated in the Speakerrsquos chamber The opposition party has claimed political vendetta behind the suspensionThe twoday monsoon session began with Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis calling out the Maha Vikas Aghadi government for freezing the parliamentary tool that the members use to raise questions table resolutions and plan debates There was a fiery exchange between the two sidesThe MLAs were suspended after they objected to the explanation of a government resolution which has sought the OBCsrsquo empirical data from the Centre to restore political reservation that has been stalled by the Supreme Court Fadnavis alleged that senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal had presented misleading information while tabling the resolution His party colleagues demanded to speak but left their seats when denied permission shouting slogans The resolution was passed amid ruckus and in the meanwhile some MLAs tried to break the speakerrsquos microphoneDevendra Fadnavis BJP leaderLater the legislators approached the deputy speakerrsquos cabin where Jadhav was seated Jadhav said he was verbally abused and manhandled by the BJP legislators and he even requested Fadnavis to control his colleagues but in vainFadnavis refuted the charge claiming Jadhav wasnrsquot abused or manhandled He said his party colleagues had apologised to Jadhav for the ruckus and called a truce It was Jadhav who used unparliamentary words the former CM said ldquoI cannot repeat those words hererdquo he told reportersMany seniors outState Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab tabled a resolution to suspend former ministers Sanjay Kute Ashish Shelar chief whip Girish Mahajan and Jaikumar Rawal and Yogesh Sagar Abhimanyu Pawar Atul Bhatkalkar Parag Alavni Harish Pimpale Ram Satpute Narayan Kuche and Kirtikumar lsquoBuntyrsquo BhangadiaThe BJP boycotted the remaining proceedings Itrsquos strength of 106 has been reduced to 94 Sources said they didnrsquot expect premature lifting of the suspensionFadnavis said the MVA cannot hold the Speakerrsquos election when a dozen MLAs are under suspension But some suspended legislators said they were expecting the government to do something about the elections on Tuesday the last day of the monsoon session ldquoIn this particular case we have supported the resolution passed today but maintained that it will not help the staterdquo Fadnavis saidLater in the evening the suspended MLAs petitioned Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Shelar said they have urged the governor to ask for a report from the government because the incident was a wellhatched conspiracy ldquoThe government created a story that didnrsquot exist Let the governor verify itrdquoldquoWhere did the number 12 come from The MLAs who werenrsquot in the cabin or anywhere near it have also been pickedrdquo Shelar said Many people linked the number of suspended MLAs to the 12 names the governor hasnrsquot nominated yet as the members of Upper HouseBy July end MPSC to get membersVacancies of the state Public Service Commission members who conduct and supervise the recruitment process will be appointed before July 31 the MVA government assured on Monday The commission is under attack after Swapnil Lonkar 24 killed himself because he was not called for an interview even after he cleared the qualifying exams Devendra Fadnavis and Sudhir Mungantiwar raised the issue in the Assembly In response deputy CM Ajit Pawar blamed the SC order and the pandemic for not completing the recruitment process by autonomous MPSC