Maharashtra political crisis: SC Grants Relief to Rebel Sena MLAs, Deadline Pushed till July 12

Maharashtra: In a relief to rebel Shiv Sena lawmakers, the Supreme Court Monday kept in abeyance the disqualification proceedings before the Deputy Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly till July 12 and sought responses to pleas by rebel MLAs questioning the legality of notices seeking their disqualification.

The apex court refused to pass any interim order on the plea of the Maharashtra Government that there should not be any floor test in the Assembly and said they cannot always approach it in case of illegality.

A Vacation Bench of Justices Surya Kant and J B Pardiwala directed the Maharashtra Government to protect the life, liberty, and property of 39 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and their family members.

Sanjay Raut was today served summons by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. Mr Raut responded with the charge that “this is a conspiracy to stop me”. Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena MP had said that his party was ready for a “street fight and a legal battle”.

Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has stripped nine rebel ministers of their portfolios. “The portfolios of the rebel ministers were being handed over to other ministers for ease of administration,” an official statement said.