Maharashtra Assembly revokes suspension of 9 Opposition MLAs

Mumbai: Maharashtra Assembly on Saturday revoked suspension of nine of the 19 Opposition members who were barred from attending the proceedings of the House for the rest of the year for creating ruckus during the budget presentation last month.

The BJP-led government is expected to take a decision on revocation of suspension of the remaining 10 legislators soon, according to ruling party sources.
While 10 of the suspended MLAs were from the NCP, the rest belonged to the Congress.

The House adopted the motion for revocation of the suspension of the nine members, brought by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat, by voice vote.

"Due to the suspension they (the MLAs) would not be able to attend the rest of the budget session as well as the coming monsoon and the winter sessions. The government is of the view that it is not right to keep away the members from attending the proceedings of the House," Bapat said.

The nine MLAs who will be able to return to the House are Sangram Topte, Abdul Sattar, Amit Zanak, DP Sawant (Congress) and Nahari Jirwal, Deepak Chavan, Dattatrey Bharne, Avdhut Tatkare, Vaibhav Pichad (NCP).

Ever since the budget session began last month, the Opposition were on protest mode demanding that the government immediately declare a loan waiver for the distressed farmers in the state.

The Opposition disrupted the proceedings in the House during the budget presentation on March 18, by displaying banners before Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar while he was reading out the budget speech.

They also sang bhajans, played cymbals, raised slogans and later burnt copies of the budget outside the House.

Many of the Opposition MLAs and leaders are now on a 'Sangharsh Yatra' around the state against the government's 'apathy' towards the plight of the farmers, hit by drought and falling prices of their produce.