MVA leaders clutching at straws from defeat: BJP MP Jethmalani on SC verdict

BJP MP and senior lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani on Friday said the Congress and its Maharashtra allies claim of victory following the Supreme Court verdict on the political upheaval in the state last year amounted to clutching at straws from defeatInteracting with reporters the Rajya Sabha member said the Supreme Court has in fact given a constitutional cloak to the BJPShiv Sena government which was sworn in after Uddhav Thackeray resigned as a majority of his partys MLAs changed their allegiance to Eknath Shinde who replaced him at the helmThe Shinde faction of Shiv Sena was later recognised by the Election Commission as the real Shiv Sena due to the majority support it enjoyed in the partys legislature groups in the state and in ParliamentJethmalani said the Supreme Court in its judgment on Thursday rejected five of the seven prayers made by the petitioners and granted only twoWith the court disapproving then governor Bhagat Singh Koshyaris decision to call a floor test for Thackeray to prove his majority the senior lawyer said it was a sham hollow and irrelevant victory for the Maha Vikas Aghadi the coalition of the Congress NCP and the Uddhav faction of Shiv Sena as it had no practical effect as the judges in their unanimous verdict also upheld the swearingin of ShindeAlso Read Maharashtra political row Sena factions promise more actionJethmalani however added that he does not agree with this aspect of the judgment but qualified it by saying that the apex court is right as its verdict is finalHe said the Supreme Court has only asked the Assembly Speaker to revisit the matter of recognising Bharat Gogawale as the chief whip of the Shiv Sena while setting aside the earlier decision as against the law Gogawale can be appointed to the position again he saidThe Speaker will decide on the matter including the issue of disqualifying MLAs who had rebelled and backed Shinde on merit the Rajya Sabha MP addedReacting to Maha Vikas Aghadis claim of victory he said They are clutching at straws from defeatThe senior lawyer also slammed Thackeray and his allies for claiming moral victory saying the morality of the issue was preconceived as it was the former chief minister who broke his partys prepoll alliance with the BJP after winning due to the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra ModiThackeray did it to become chief minister and he betrayed the will of the people which is the most important aspect in a democracy Jethmalani saidThe Congress on Thursday described the Supreme Courts verdicts on the Maharashtra political row and the Delhi governments powers as seminal and pathbreaking and said it is a slap on the BJP which has lost legally morally politically and ethicallyThe unholy undemocratic and ugly nature of the BJPs underbelly and backbelly has been exposed senior Congress leader and spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi had told a press conferenceHolding that Koshyari did not have reasons based on objective material before him to conclude that Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House the top court said the governor is not empowered to enter the political arena and play a role however minute either in interparty disputes or in intraparty disputesThe governor was not justified in calling upon Thackeray to prove his majority on the floor of the House because he did not have reasons based on objective material before him to reach the conclusion that Thackeray had lost the confidence of the House However the status quo ante cannot be restored because Thackeray did not face the floor test and tendered his resignation it saidThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever