New Delhi [India], July 19 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant on Sunday sharply criticised Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s decision to recognise the merger of six party MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, calling the move constitutionally “unlawful”.
He informed that the UBT Sena protested against the decision by staging a walkout from an all-party meeting convened ahead of the Monsoon Session, which begins on Monday.
In a symbolic protest, opposition members staged a brief walkout shortly after the all-party meeting commenced, before returning to the table. Several leaders attributed the demonstration to recent political shifts, involving 20 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs and Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), along with six UBT Sena MPs, shifting to the Shiv Sena.
Speaking to reporters after the walkout, Sawant said, “There is no provision in Constitution, there is no provision in Schedule 10 to recognise the six members who have defected from the party. It is unlawful and therefore we have protested against it.”
His remarks came a day after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday approved the merger of six Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel MPs with the Shiv Sena led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. This takes the Shiv Sena’s strength to 13, reducing UBT Sena to three members in the Lok Sabha.
Additionally, the Speaker also approved separate seating in the Lok Sabha for 20 MPs who broke away from the TMC and announced a merger with the regional party, the NCPI. However, the merger of rebel TMC MPs has not yet been approved by the Speaker.
Sawant highlighted the observations on the wording and legal basis of the Speaker’s order.
“Yesterday, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha took a decision on this matter. We must carefully examine the letter issued by the Lok Sabha Speaker. The Trinamool group has been permitted to sit separately. It has not been described as a ‘merger’ it has been termed an ‘affiliation.’ The letter does not specify under which legal framework or provision this decision has been taken,” he told reporters.
Sawant added that the party would take its cue from its chief on how to proceed. “Under the guidance of party chief Uddhav Thackeray, we will decide on the further course of action. Saheb (Uddhav Thackeray) will take the final decision on the matter,” he said.
Shifting his focus to the Ram Mandir donation row, Sawant launched a sharp attack on the government, alleging that those involved in the “theft” are associated with the government.
He said, “There is the theft of offerings and the donation box at Lord Ram temple, the purchase of land plots, and rampant corruption and misconduct–and all the perpetrators belong to the government. None of the Shankaracharyas were present at the Ram Temple inauguration…You came to power by commodifying the faith the entire nation held in Lord Ramchandra, and you have turned that faith into a marketplace once again.” (ANI)
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