After the Supreme Court order, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar said that a copy of the order had not yet been received, adding that the decision would be taken in a reasonable time.The Supreme Court on Monday expressed disapproval over the delay by the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in deciding the disqualification petitions against 56 MLAs including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and asked him to set a timeline for the hearing them within a week.
“The copy of the order has not yet been received. The hearing in the disqualification petitions will take its own course. The decision will be taken in a reasonable time," Rahul Narvekar said. He further said, "According to my information, the Supreme Court has recognised that the Speaker is a Constitutional position, and the court cannot intervene in his functioning."The court also observed that nothing has happened in the matter except for the issuance of notice. The Court asked the Speaker to keep the matter within a week for passing procedural directions.
In the hearing, Supreme Court said that as per its judgement released on May 11 wherein it was decided that Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker will take a decision regarding disqualification, no proceedings held so far even after four months. The Court kept waiting for it...Without taking much time, the disqualification proceedings should begin," said Shiv Sena (UBT) Leader Anil Desai on Supreme Court's disapproval of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker's delay in decision on disqualification petitions.A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said it had been asking the Speaker, Rahul Narwekar, to decide on the matter for four months.
The court was hearing a plea filed in July by Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena seeking direction to the Speaker to take an expeditious decision on the disqualification petitions pending against rebel Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde. The plea was filed by MLA Sunil Prabhu of Uddhav Thackeray's group of Shiv Sena.Speaker in brazen disregard to his constitutional duties as a neutral arbiter, has sought to delay the adjudications of the disqualification petitions, thereby, permitting the illegal continuance of Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister, against whom the disqualification petitions are pending for almost a year, the plea has said.Speaker's conduct in choosing to deliberately delay the adjudication of the disqualification petitions filed by the Uddhav Thackeray group against the delinquent members of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, it has added.The disqualification pleas have been pending since the Maharashtra political crises started. The plea sought direction for the Speaker to decide disqualification petitions within a time-bound manner.