Thackeray: SC verdict has ‘exposed’ Governor, ECI role, govt; Shinde must quit

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the Supreme Court verdict has exposed the role of the Governor, the Election Commission of India and the current regime, here on Thursday.

“In view of the judgement, if the present government has any morality left, then it should forthwith resign, just as I had tendered my resignation (in June 2022),” said Thackeray, in his first reaction to the much-awaited verdict.

He said that the apex court judgement has also laid bare the role of the (then) Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and how his office was misused, “which is what we have been saying all along”.

On the ECI, he said that its not a ‘divine body’ and it cannot just “take away the name-symbol” of the (Shiv Sena) party founded by the late Balasaheb Thackeray.

He said that even the Shiv Sena decision on its Whip (Sunil Prabhu) was upheld and the Shinde faction’s Whip (Bharat Gogawale) was upheld by the SC.

“We shall now request the Speaker (Rahul Narwekar) to take the decision on the disqualification of the 16 MLAs as soon as possible,” said Thackeray.

Senior leader Anil Parab said that as per the SC verdict, the Speaker must convene a session of the legislature and pronounce his decision on the disqualification of 16 MLAs, including Shinde, and said the government will collapse soon.

Earlier, the Sena (UBT) Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut, MP, said that this means that considering all aspects of the verdict, the present “illegal” Shinde government of Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party should immediately resign on moral grounds.