The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) criticized Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his recent comments in the Legislative Council, stating that directives from the Speaker or Chairperson are not considered final or divine words. The party labeled this as a matter of political convenience, highlighting contradictions in the government’s past positions.
The controversy arose from a clash in Satara involving the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena over the Zilla Parishad presidency. Police allegedly favored the BJP during the incident, leading to a confrontation involving Minister Shambhuraj Desai. In response, Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, who recently joined the Shinde faction, ordered the suspension of Satara Superintendent of Police, Tushar Doshi. However, Fadnavis refused to enforce the suspension, arguing that the executive branch holds the ultimate decision-making authority and that the chair’s directives are not absolute.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena criticized CM Fadnavis, suggesting that if directives from the Chair are not considered final, then the Chief Minister should declare that the January 10, 2024, decision by the Assembly Speaker on MLA disqualification was also not absolute. The party emphasized that in a democracy, no decision from any position is beyond reproach and is subject to judicial review, with the Constitution being the only ultimate authority.
