MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) on Thursday said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has sparked a heated debate following his recent remarks in the Legislative Council, where he stated that directives from the Speaker or Chairperson are not "final" or "divine words (Brahmavakya)".
It labelled this stance as a matter of "political convenience", pointing to contradictions in the government's previous positions.
The Thackeray camp in the party's mouthpiece, 'Saamana', editorial said the controversy stems from a clash in Satara involving the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena regarding the Zilla Parishad presidency. During the incident, police allegedly favoured the BJP, leading to an altercation involving Minister Shambhuraj Desai. In response, Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, who recently joined the Shinde faction, directed the suspension of Satara Superintendent of Police, Tushar Doshi. However, Fadnavis refused to implement the suspension, arguing that the executive branch holds the ultimate decision-making power and that the chair’s directives are not absolute.
Taking aim at CM Fadnavis, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena claimed that if directives given from the Chair are not "Brahmavakya", then the Chief Minister should immediately declare that the January 10, 2024, decision by the Assembly Speaker regarding MLA disqualification was also not "Brahmavakya". In a democracy, no decision from any position is beyond reproach; it is subject to judicial review. There is only one "Brahmavakya", and that is the Constitution.