After being suspended from the legislature for allegedly misbehaving with Speaker Bhaskar Jadhav in his chamber on the first day of the Monsoon Session in the Maharashtra Assembly, the twelve suspended Bharatiya Janata Party leaders met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Submitting a letter, the leaders, who call their suspension part of a political vendetta, requested the Governor’s intervention in the matter.
The suspended MLAs include Dr Sanjay Kute, Ashish Shelar, Abhimanyu Pawar, Girish Mahajan, Atul Bhatkhalkar, Harish Pimple, Jaikumar Rawal, Yogesh Sagar, Narayan Kuche, Bunty Bhangdiya, Parag Alvani and Ram Satpute. The allegation was that they abused and manhandled the speaker, although the BJP has denied these charges and also called this action unconstitutional. Some of the MLAs have even alleged that those who did not go to presiding officer’s chambers had also been named in suspended MLAs list. They have met with Bhagat Singh Koshyari to inform him and present their side of the matter and seek some sort of Intervention. Most of the MLAs are the prominent face of the BJP in Maharashtra.
Earlier in the day, the BJP refuted the claims of the ruling government and stated that no such incident of misbehaviour took place and the MLAs merely protested in the House over a range of issues, including the issue of the Maratha quota and the OBC reservation. Questioning the decision of suspension, Devendra Fadnavis asked to produce evidence of misbehaviour by the BJP MLAs.