Shiv Sena leader (UBT) Sanjay Raut lambasted Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Thursday after the Speaker ruled that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led faction of the party is the "real Shiv Sena". Launching a sharp attack on Narwekar, Raut called him out as a "lawyer" of the "dishonest faction."
"The Supreme Court gave the Assembly Speaker a responsibility to work as a tribunal so that justice is served. But our Assembly Speaker (Rahul Narwekar), who is now a BJP leader, previously served in the Shiv Sena, Congress, and many other parties, chose to be a lawyer of the 'dishonest faction' of (Eknath) Shinde. Then how can justice be served," reported PTI quoting Raut as saying.
The Congress also criticised Narwekar dubbing his ruling as "erroneous".
"Politically speaking, this division is wrong. I think this ruling is erroneous...and it will be cancelled," said Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, while speaking to news agency ANI.
On Wednesday, Raut termed the ruling as “conspiracy”, and said his party will move Supreme Court against the Speaker’s verdict.
"The order (by the speaker) has been received from Delhi, we do not accept it. This order is not according to law and the Constitution. It was BJP's dream to finish Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena, but the Shiv Sena will not end like this. The order is a conspiracy. Will definitely go to the Supreme Court...our fight will continue in courts," Raut said, reported PTI.
ALSO READ: Sena Vs Sena: Timeline Of The War In Court For The Right To Rule Maharashtra
The Shiv Sena MP also targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party over the issue saying, “The Gujarat lobby had its way.”
“It got the verdict it wanted planted through Rahul Narwekar who played into their hands and embarrassed the people of Maharashtra. The Gujarat lobby and their masters in Delhi want to see the end of Shiv Sena founded by Balasaheb Thackeray,” reported Indian Express quoting Raut as saying.