BJP and morality are contradictory, Pawar on SC verdict of misuse of authority

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the Bharatiya Janata Party and morality are contradictory to each other and asserted that the Supreme Court's verdict on last year's Maharashtra political crisis will help the Maha Vikas Aghadi convince people about BJP's "misuse" of authority.

Governor act not justified

Supreme Court held the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was not justified in calling upon then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to prove majority in the Assembly on June 30, 2022 but refused to order status quo ante, saying he did not face the floor test and resigned.

In a unanimous verdict on a batch of pleas related to the political crisis, a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud held that the Speaker's decision to appoint Bharat Gogawale of the Shinde faction as the whip of Shiv Sena was "illegal".

BJP and morality are contradictory

Pawar made the statement when he was asked for his views about the demands of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde should resign after the SC ruling.

Pawar said, "The BJP and morality are contradictory to each other. What more can I comment?"

The veteran politician said, "The BJP's strategy is to break smaller parties and form the government if they cannot win on their own. This is not good for democracy."

However, the Supreme Court's decision could help "us (MVA) easily convince people how BJP misuses authority", he said.

Thackeray resigned on his own

Pawar declined to say more on the SC observation that Thackeray had resigned on his own. "Let bygones be bygones. From here, Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP will work together and face the elections." The MVA has these three parties as partners.

Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena UBT leader says, “The verdict of SC reinstates trust in democracy. How was I supposed to run a government with back stabbers? If the current Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis have any ethics, then they should resign after the SC ruling.”

Pawar takes a dig at Governor

The NCP chief criticised the former Maharashtra governor, who also was pulled up by the apex court. Pawar said, "The office of the governor is a constitutional institution. He was a good example of how to disrespect an institution. Luckily he is not here, so there is no need to comment on it any further."