12 BJP MLAs suspended for one year over ruckus in Maharashtra Assembly

Leader of Opposition and former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis lead the BJP walkout from the Assembly

Amid tense moments, chaos and pandemonium, 12 BJP MLAs were suspended for a year’s time from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for using “abusive language” and “misbehaving” with Bhaskar Jadhav, who was the Presiding Officer.

The ruckus started when the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government brought in a resolution seeking empirical data on the OBCs from the Centre.

However, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis raised a point of objection before Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal of NCP could present the resolution.

Fadnavis, a former Chief Minister, claimed that the Maharashtra government did not follow the Supreme Court's directions for 15 months, which resulted in the scrapping of political reservation for OBCs.

“Ultimately it would have a repercussion all over India including in BJP-ruled states...and we are moving the resolution after due diligence,” said Bhujbal trying to reason on seeking data from the Central government.

After Bhujbal, Jadhav, a former minister, who is a member of the Speaker's panel, and was in the Chair, allowed Fadnavis to speak.

Thereafter, he asked Bhujbal to reply and table the resolution even as BJP MLAs rushed to the podium and tried to snatch the mike asking time for a response from Fadnavis.

The resolution was passed by voice vote and the House was adjourned for 10 minutes. Then it saw three adjournments – two of 15 minutes each and another for 30 minutes.

During the adjournments outside the House, there was a heated exchange between Shiv Sena members and BJP members at the chamber of the Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal.

Thackeray also separately spoke to Jadhav and heard him out on the sequence of events that took place.

When the House reassembled, Fadnavis said that the statements of misbehavior were one-sided. “I may be aggressive, but I never compromise on Parliamentary ethics.. the allegation that some Shiv Sena members and I made uncharitable remarks and I am ready to face any punishment if it was proven true,” Jadhav said and sought the protection of the Chair.

He accused the BJP MLAs of speaking out "uncharitable words".

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab of Shiv Sena moved a resolution to suspend 12 MLAs, which was passed by voice vote even as Fadnavis led the walkout by opposition BJP.

The MLAs are Parag Alavani, Ram Satpute, Sanjay Kute, Ashish Shelar, Abhimanyu Pawar, Girish Mahajan, Atul Bhatkalkar, Shirish Pimple, Jaykumar Rawal, Yogesh Sagar, Narayan Kuche, Kirtikumar Bagadia.

“It is murder of democracy,” Fadnavis, said, adding that the government is targetting opposition as it was raising issues of public importance and highlighting their failures.

Fadnavis said that Shelar apologised and everyone shook hands and the matter ended in the chamber. "But now it is being brought here," he said.

Minority Affairs Minister Nawab Malik and Shiv Sena member Sunil Prabhu demanded that action be taken against the opposition members for their behaviour with Jadhav. "What happened in your chamber is not right," Malik told Zirwal.