Supreme Court on Friday heard petitions by the Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena and the Sharad Pawar faction of NCP seeking a direction to the Maharashtra Speaker to expeditiously decide disqualification proceedings against some MLAs.

Supreme Court observed that if it doesn’t get a proper time schedule set out by the Maharashtra Speaker by October 7, then it will issue a peremptory order setting down a timeline because its order is not being followed. The Speaker should take the decision on the disqualification of MLAs at least before the next election, SC ruled. 

Supreme Court asks Solicitor General Tushar Mehta that somebody has to advise the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly that he cannot defeat the orders of the court. “Last time we thought better sense would prevail. The idea of schedule should not be to indefinitely delay the hearing. The Speaker must give the impression that he is taking the matter seriously. Since June there has been no action in the matter. He should not issue a charade. There has to be a hearing,” says the Supreme Court.

On September 18, the top court had directed the Maharashtra assembly speaker to spell out the timeline for adjudication of the disqualification petitions against Shinde and other MLAs.

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