It is his decision, he will come before us someday: Aaditya Thackeray on minister Uday Samant joining rebel faction

Jun 27, 2022

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 27 : Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Monday sought to play down Maharashtra Minister Uday Samant joining rebel faction led by Eknath Shinde and said, "it is his decision".
"It is his decision. But he will come before us someday, he will have to look us in the eye someday. Let's see," Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said.
When asked how confident is he that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government won't fall, Aaditya Thackeray said, "We are confident of winning. We have all love with us. Those who betray don't win. Those who run away don't win."
In a jolt to Uddhav Thackeray camp, Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant joined the party rebels led by Eknath Shinde at Guwahati.
Both the Shiv Sena and the rebel group have been seeking to outmanoeuvre each other. While the Thackeray group removed Shinde as leader of the legislative party and appointed a new chief whip, supporters of Shinde wrote to the state Governor that he continues to be the leader of the Shiv Sena legislature group. They also appointed a chief whip.
The battle between the groups has now reached the Supreme Court which on Monday granted interim relief to Shinde and other MLAs to file their reply to disqualification notices issued to them by the Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly by July 12, 5.30 pm.
Earlier, the Deputy Speaker had granted them time to file a reply by Monday, 5.30 pm.
A vacation bench of Justices Surya Kant and JB Pardiwala, in its order, said, "As an interim measure, the time granted by the Deputy Speaker, to the petitioners or other similarly placed MLAs to submit their submissions today by 5.30 pm, stands extended till July 12. The petitioners or other MLAs are at liberty to submit their reply without prejudice to their rights in the writ petition."

The apex court was hearing the petitions filed by the Shinde group challenging the disqualification notices issued by the Deputy Speaker to 16 rebel MLAs as well as the appointment of Ajay Choudhary as Shiv Sena Legislature Party leader.

The bench also issued notices to the Deputy Speaker, Secretary of Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly, the Centre, Ajay Chaudhary, and Sunil Prabhu and asked them to file a reply within five days.
On the request of providing security to 39 MLAs alleging threats to them, the Supreme Court recorded the statement of the standing counsel of the Maharashtra government, Rahul Chitnis, that adequate steps have already been taken and the state government will further ensure that no harm is caused to the life, liberty, property of the MLAs.

During the hearing, senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul appearing for Eknath Shinde and others told the Supreme Court that the Deputy Speaker cannot proceed with the disqualification proceedings when the resolution seeking his removal is pending.