After Rahul Gandhi, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut may face disqualification as the breach of privilege motion has passed against him in Maharashtra state legislative assembly and referred to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha on Saturday.
Sanjay Raut had called the state assembly members the gang of thieves – chor mandal. The ruling party in Maharashtra took objections to Sanjay Raut’s statement calling state assembly as chor mondal and demanded the privilege motion against Sanjay Raut for insulting the elected representatives and its House which has a very rich tradition.
Maharashtra state legislative assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar read out the privilege committee report that recommended actions against Sanjay Raut. Narvekar said that he approves the breach of privilege motion that was filed against Sanjay Raut.
“We had issued notice to Sanjay Raut asking for his clarifications as part of natural justice. But he sought more time and more time was given, and later he replied but it was not satisfactory therefore decided to pass the privilege motion against him. Sanjay Raut is a member of the Rajya Sabha therefore they decided to refer this passed motion to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha for further actions,” Narvekar added.
Reacting to this development, Sanjay Raut confirmed that there is a conspiracy against him to disqualify him from membership in the Rajya Sabha like Rahul Gandhi, but he is not afraid of such actions.
He said that his remarks calling elected members as a gang of thieves are misinterpreted. “I was never meant to refer to the state assembly as a gang of thieves. But it was intended towards the 40 MLAs of Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena who snatched the Uddhav Thackeray’s father-founded party and its traditional bow and arrow symbol. They are a chor gang which are stealing from Uddhav Thackeray therefore my remark was limited to these 40 MLAs of the Shinde group only. I cannot insult the House and its elected members,” Raut clarified.
He said that he will not extend an apology for the statement that was never made. “If I wanted to apologize, then I would not have gone to jail also. I am the true soldier of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Balasaheb Thackeray who will never bow to such frivolous pressure and blackmailing tactics of the BJP and his allied partners in Maharashtra. I will continue to fight at any cost,” Raut said.
