Maharashtra LoP Vijay Wadettiwar demands live broadcast of hearing of Sena disqualification pleas

MLAs from Shiv Sena factions led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray have filed disqualification pleas against each other after the party split following a rebellion led by Shinde last year.

Mounting pressure, the Opposition in Maharashtra Maha Vikas Aghadi on Saturday demanded that the hearing of disqualification pleas of the two factions of Shiv Sena MLAs - led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray - should be broadcast live.

Speaker Rahul Narwekar would be conducting the hearings of the disqualification pleas, responses and rebuttals from next week.

Leader of the Opposition in Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar has shot off a letter to Narwekar in this regard.

Wadettiwar said that the disqualification petitions arising out of the rebellion in Shiv Sena are pending before the Speaker and the people of Maharashtra who are committed to the principles of justice and democracy are looking forward to knowing the details.

“The hearing of the petitions should be broadcast live to ensure that people’s trust in constitutional institutions, posts and democracy remains intact,” he said.

“I have made the demand for the live broadcast,” Wadettiwar told reporters.

However, Narwekar or his office is yet respond so far on the demand of the Opposition leader.