Raut blames ex-CJI Chandrachud for MVA’s thrashing in Maharashtra polls
Mumbai: Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday blamed former Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud for the Maharashtra results. The Rajya Sabha MP said that Justice Chandrachud’s name will be written in black letters in history. Mr. Raut alleged that Mr. Chadrachud has removed the fear of the law from defectors by not deciding on the disqualification petitions and “Maharashtra is not happy” with the results.
“If anyone is responsible for this situation in Maharashtra, then it is former Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud. The Supreme Court should have decided the issue of MLAs’ disqualification in time. If you cannot decide a matter in two-three years, then why are you warming the chair and wasting public money? Mr. Chandrachud is good at giving lectures outside (the court), but he could not give a decision on an unconstitutional act, for which history will not forgive him. Had he given the appropriate decision, the picture in Maharashtra would have been different,” Mr. Raut said.
In a landslide victory, the Mahayuti alliance won 235 out of 288 Assembly seats. The opposition alliance ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ managed to win only 49 seats with the Uddhav Thackeray-led party reducing to 20 seats. However, Mr. Raut said that his party cannot accept the Assembly election results. “We cannot accept these results. For the first two hours of counting, there was a close contest. But in the next two hours, the situation changed completely. The same thing had happened in Haryana. Such results are not possible in democracy. It is very clear that the results were pre-decided and the voting was merely a formality,” he said.
Blaming the former CJI for the election outcome, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said, “Former CJI Chandrachud is responsible for the unexpected results of Maharashtra elections. He did not give timely judgment on the case involving the party symbol and unconstitutional government running in the state. Now there is no fear of Schedule 10. Anybody can jump parties and legislators can be bought using money. History will not forgive Justice Chandrachud for not giving the decision, his name will be written in black letters.”.
Taking a jibe at the Mahayuti victory, Mr. Raut said that except for BJP office and chief minister Eknath Shinde’s residence, there were no celebrations in Maharashtra as the “people are unhappy” with the results. “The results have left people shocked, who are wondering how this is possible,” he said.
Mr. Raut further alleged that the Mahayuti government has been brought back to power by the “Gujarat lobby” and therefore the swearing-in ceremony of the new government should be held in Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. “I hear that they are planning to hold the new government’s swearing-in at Shivaji Park or Wankhede Stadium. It will be an insult to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj if it happens in front of his statue at Shivaji Park. The monument of 106 martyrs, who led their lives for united Maharashtra movement, is close by from Wankhede stadium. Therefore, the new government should take oath in Gujarat’s Narendra Modi stadium. People in Gujarat will be very happy,” he said.