Mumbai, Jan 16 (Reporter) Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena on Tuesday questioned the decision of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar recognising Eknath Shinde-led group as real Shiv Sena. Uddhav asked how a legislative party be more important than the political party to decide on the matters related to parties , To drive home his point, Uddhav addressed a people’s court at worli in Mumbai - where his family members and top leadership were present. If in records I am not President then in what capacity I was called to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 and 2019 (after the BJP-led NDA won the elections),” he said, adding that it was for his support only that Devendra Fadnavis became the Chief Minister in 2014. “This is the land of Maharashtra, where we had legends like Ram Shastri Prabhune and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, who stood for democracy…but unfortunately from this same Maharashtra democracy is being murdered,” he said. Constitutional expert and Thackeray’s lawyer Asim Sarode and Rohit Sharma made separate presentations. In the conference, video presentation was made on Uddhav being appointed party President , a few years ago, in which Shinde and Narwekar, then with Shiv Sena, were present. Sarode expressed serious concerns at the Speaker’s ruling and said that this is not just about an intra-party dispute, but “portends ill for Democracy and Constitution” in the country. He also said that Speaker Rahul Narwekar did not adhere to the directives of the Supreme Court in his verdict on the disqualification of MLAs’ issue, and “has committed a grave contempt of the Apex court”. Virtually tearing into the Speaker’s Jan. 10 ruling, Sarode analysed it and accused Narwekar of delaying tactics and finally delivering his verdict with political motives. “The decision was ready made like Maggi noodles… The Speaker took ‘evidence’ like a magistrate court… The decision was unnecessarily delayed for so long with political intentions,” Sarode thundered. He said that contrary to precedents and norms, the Speaker accepted the majority of the legislature party (of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction) in his decision and ignored the political party which is supreme. Sarode said that the legislative party has a limited tenure of five years, and later it may change, but the political party is a bigger entity and above the legislature party, which was not considered by the Speaker. He said that long before the verdict of Jan. 10, “it was very clear among the people, right till the remote areas, that there would be injustice done” and their apprehensions came true. Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Spokesperson and MP Sanjay slammed the Speaker’s verdict and said “he has handed over the Shiv Sena to a bunch of thieves”. “The Speaker’s ruling is a blot on the glorious democratic traditions of Maharashtra… Such a decision would not be acceptable even to his (Narwekar’s) wife,” said Raut. The event was live-streamed across the state...////...