Shinde-Fadnavis described the Supreme Court’s decision as a ‘victory of truth’
Mumbai (IANS) | Describing the Supreme Court verdict as a victory for truth, the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance in Maharashtra on Thursday said it has put the court’s seal of approval on the state government and they have been vindicated. A relieved Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and a beaming Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while talking to the media said that all those who predicted the downfall of the state government have been silenced by the Supreme Court verdict.
We fully support the Supreme Court verdict… It was as expected, 11 months after former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s Maha Vikas Aghadi government was toppled in June 2022, the two said. We are happy, our point has been upheld by the Supreme Court of the country.
Shinde said that all these months the opposition was spreading rumors that the government was illegitimate and unconstitutional and would fall anytime, but all their predictions proved to be false.
“Majority is important in a democracy and we have a majority… It is clear from the Supreme Court verdict that there is a constitution in the country and no one can go beyond that,” he said. It is clear that the government we have formed is within the ambit of the law.
Taking a jibe at former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s resignation, Shinde said he (Thackeray) knows he has lost the majority and has no option but to quit.
Shinde said that after resigning, Uddhav Thackeray tried to prove it as a principled stand, but we have preserved the ethics, and saved the Shiv Sena formed by the ideals of Balasaheb Thackeray, which he (Uddhav Thackeray) called the Congress. And mortgaged it to the Nationalist Congress Party.
Referring to the disqualification of 16 MLAs, including himself, Shinde said that now the final decision on this would be taken by the Speaker (Rahul Narvekar) under the law.
“Today, our government has got the Supreme Court’s nod as a government with absolute majority… We welcome the verdict,” Shinde said.
Fadnavis termed it a victory of people and democracy and the Supreme Court has completely turned the tide against the MVA.
Fadnavis said, the Supreme Court has made it clear that Uddhav Thackeray cannot be made CM again. The right of disqualification of 16 MLAs rests with the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, who has to decide on it. SC has refused to interfere in it.
He took a jibe at Thackeray saying that after realizing that he did not have a majority, he (Thackeray) resigned as chief minister and then took a higher moral ground.
Fadnavis said in a sharp tone, “Those who broke ties with the BJP and joined hands with the Congress-NCP, have no right to teach morality to others.”
Shiv Sena-BJP workers in Mumbai and other parts of the state celebrated, distributed sweets and congratulated each other after the much-awaited Supreme Court verdict was announced this afternoon.
–IANS
