"Important decision to strengthen parliamentary democracy": Maharashtra Assembly Speaker after ruling in favour of Shinde Sena

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 11 (ANI): A day after ruling that the Eknath Shinde faction was the 'real' Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Thursday said that his decision was important to strengthen the parliamentary democracy.
In an interview with ANI, the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker said that the decision he took was justifiable.
"I think this is an important decision to strengthen parliamentary democracy. Anyone can go to the Supreme Court. The decision I took is justifiable," he said.
Delivering verdict on cross-petitions by Shiv Sena factions seeking disqualification of rival group MLAs after a split in the party in June last year, Maharashtra Speaker Rahul Narwekar said on Wednesday that the "Shinde faction was real Shiv Sena when rival factions emerged".
The Speaker went into great length on the Shiv Sena constitution while delivering his crucial verdict and said "decision of Paksha Pramukh cannot be taken as decision of the political party".
On his decision to state that Sunil Prabhu of the Sena (UBT) ceased to be the whip from June 21, 2022, and Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde group became the authorised whip, Narwekar said, "The Supreme Court itself said that the Speaker should decide who is the Whip. The top court asked the Speaker to follow the process and take a decision."
When asked, if Bharat Gogawale issues a Whip, would it be applicable to both Thackeray and Shinde factions, the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker said, "The Whip that Bharat Gogawale will issue would be applicable to all the members of the Shiv Sena legislature party."
Soon after the verdict, Shiv Sena (UBT) faction leader Sanjay Raut said that this is all match-fixing and they will approach the Supreme Court.
Addressing a press conference, Raut said, "The BJP dreamed that one day they would destroy Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena, but Shiv Sena will not end like this. Shiv Sena is in every Maharashtrian. Today's decision is not a decision but a conspiracy. We will approach the Supreme Court. Our fight will continue in the court. The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, to whom the power was given by the Supreme Court, had an opportunity to write history, which he has wasted. All those who are celebrating today are traitors to Maharashtra and their situation will be like that of Mussolini."
Responding to this, Narwekar said that the verdict was not delivered to please any faction.
"I didn't issue my decisions just to please anyone. I took my decision on the basis of the provisions in the law and the Constitution and the decision given by the Supreme Court. If my decision is wrong then please tell me the flaws in it. If you condemn that decision just to protest without pointing out its flaws, it will not help," he said. (ANI)