Fourteen MLAs were suspended for a year in the state legislative Assembly on Friday. The MLAs — 13 from the Shiv Sena and one from the BJP — brought a Ganesh idol into the House and started performing an aarti as a symbolic protest for the failure of the police and the state to detect the dacoity at Dive Aagar at Raigad where a gold idol of Ganesh was stolen by armed dacoits, last week.
The Sena, which has been demanding a reply from home minister R.R. Patil on the dacoity in the Raigad district took up the issue in the House during the question hour. A group of MLAs, clad in traditional dresses, led by Sena MLA from Thane Pratap Sarnaik, started sloganeering. After placing the idol they were carrying on the desk in front of the Speaker, the MLAs started performing an aarti. While other Sena MLAs also participated in the fracas, BJP and MNS chose to stay away.
The House was adjourned twice amidst the chaos. During one of these adjournments there was an exchange of strong words between Sena MLA Vinod Ghosalkar and minister of state Bhaskar Jadhav. Once the House resumed, legislative affairs minister Harshav-ardhan Patil came up with the proposal to suspend the MLAs. This was passed with ruling party majority in the House and the proceedings were adjourned till Monday.
Reacting to the suspension, leader of Opposition Eknath Khadse said that though he was not justifying the MLAs’ actions in the House, the suspension for a year was a bit harsh, especially when apologies were also tendered.