The Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly, Haribhau Bagade today suspended five Congress MLAs for two years for alleged manhandling of Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao. A Committee chaired by the Speaker has been set up to probe the incident. Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse raised the issue in the assembly and demanded action against Congress MLAs for alleged manhandling of Governor in the premises of the State Assembly. Mr. Khadse said that some MLAs of Congress manhandled the Governor when he was entering the House to address the special joint session of the Assembly. He also claimed that the video footage of the act is available and demanded immediate apology from the Congress.
Defending its MLAs, Congress leader Radhakrishn Vikhe Patil said that the incident was merely an accident and Congress MLAs have not done anything deliberately. Vikhe Patil also expressed regret on behalf of the Congress MLAs, but the Speaker disapproved it and ordered suspension of Abdul Sattar, Rahul Bondre, Virendra Jagtap, Amar Kale and Jaykumar Gore. The incident occurred when Congress MLAs tried to ‘Gherao’ the Governor in protest against the Speaker's alleged biased decision to allow the BJP-led Devendra Fadanvis Government to prove majority by voice vote.
On the other hand, Congress has criticized NCP for supporting BJP during the trust vote in Maharashtra assembly. Party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmad today said, NCP tarnished its secular image by siding with the BJP, which he alleged creates division in society. Questioning BJP’s logic behind its equation with NCP, Mr Shakeel reminded that it is the same party which Prime Minister had dubbed as corrupt.
Addressing media persons in New Delhi, the spokesperson said the way the voice vote was conducted is not good for democracy. He said division of votes on the motion of trust should have been allowed in the assembly as sought by the opposition parties.
Earlier, Devendra Fadnavis Government today succeeded in winning the trust vote. The newly elected speaker Haribhau Bagde decided to take the voice vote and BJP could won the trust vote. Although the decision of the Speaker came under fire by Shiv Sena and the Congress. Both the parties criticized the decision and Congress has decided to meet the Governor and demanded to take the trust vote again by actual voting and not by voice vote.
After the high voltage drama BJP-led Devendra Fadanvis government today won the crucial trust vote in Maharashtra Assembly by voice vote.
