PIL in Bombay HC against rebel Shiv Sena leaders

Amid the political saga in Maharashtra, a PIL has been filed in the Bombay High Court against the rebel Shiv Sena leaders led by minister Eknath Shinde seeking directions to them to return to Mumbai and assume their offices in the interest of the public.

Meanwhile CM Uddhav Thackeray on Monday stripped the MLAs of their portfolios.

Pune-based advocate Asim Sarode mentioned the petition before Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice MS Karnik. “Submit the praecipe…we will see,” Justice Datta said.

The group of petitioners - Utpal Chandawar, Abhijit Ghule-Patil, Neelima Vartak, Medha Kulkarni, Hemant Karnik, Manali Gupte and Madhavi Kulkarni - filed the petition through Sarode and advocate Ajinkya Udane.

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The petitioners have submitted the list of legislators/ministers who are now holed up in Guwahati.

The petitioners pointed out that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has not declared any process of taking decisions to assure the citizens that the government would not stop functioning.

“Taking into consideration the fundamental rights of citizens, the court may please direct respondent no. 1 (Shinde), who is on unofficial leave with other ministers to return to state and assume duties,” the petition states.

Besides, the petition also calls for “appropriate action” against Shinde and other ministers for “omissions of duty” and “moral wrongs” leading to disrespect for public rights and good governance.

It also urged other respondents - State of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena President/Party Head, NCP Maharashtra Unit President, Congress Maharashtra Unit President to submit a detailed plan of assurance mentioning the process of governance in absence of these ministers.

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“Forming the government is one positive action while creating situations to topple the government by hook or by crook is a definite public nuisance issue for the common citizens. Why should the citizens be compelled to tolerate the nonsense under the name of politics,” the petition said and also pointed out how these MLAs/ministers have travelled to Surat and then Guwahati.

"Instead of working for the community, the respondents are aiming at securing personal gains by instigating an internal disorder within the governance of the State,” the 15-page PIL states.

““Peculiar situations and circumstances to bring down the political arrangement of governance which has pushed the common citizens and voters under worrying situations as to who will take care of their public rights and the same is a grave threat to democracy,” it states.