Mumbai: Nine Shiv Sena-BJP MLAs were Thursday
suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly for disrupting the budget presentation by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar yesterday.
Opposition MLAs had shouted slogans throughout the budget
speech yesterday.
The nine MLAs include five Sena members and four BJP
members. They are: Vinod Ghosalkar, Ravindra Waikar, Pratap
Sarnaik, Eknath Shinde and Vijay Shivtare (all Shiv Sena); Harish Pimpley, Girish Mahajan, Vijay Deshmukh, Sardar Tara Singh (BJP).
The motion was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister
Harshvardhan Patil in the Lower House today, seeking
permission of the House to prevent the legislators from
entering the Assembly premises till December 31, 2011, with
effect from today.
Patil said the opposition legislators had maligned the
image of the House with their conduct which was telecast live.
He said the MLAs should be suspended for slogan-shouting,
displaying banners and not obeying directives of the chair.
The motion was passed by a voice vote.
Leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse (BJP) demanded a
division of vote on the motion, which went unheard in the din.
He criticised the government for suppressing the voice of
the opposition on the strength of majority.
Earlier, the House had to be adjourned twice when ruling
Congress-NCP legislators sought action against the opposition
members for disrupting the budget presentation.
Shashikant Shinde (NCP) said the opposition MLAs should
be suspended and he was supported by Vijay Waddetiwar
(Congress) and others.
PTI
