Mumbai: With the state Legislative Council passing the Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill, the Maharashtra Government is “positive” about revoking suspension of the opposition legislators in the Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Girish Bapat told the lower house today.
Nineteen Opposition MLAs from the Congress and the NCP were suspended on Wednesday from the Assembly for nine months for creating ruckus during the Budget presentation in the House last week.
Addressing the state Assembly today, Bapat said the opposition legislators were suspended as a disciplinary action. “That does not mean the suspension will not be revoked,” he said.
“The government is positive for revocation of the suspension as it wants the proceedings of the Legislature session to be held in a cordial atmosphere. Even though the government may be in a majority, the opposition is required to incorporate their suggestions in the budgetary demands,” Bapat said.
“We hope to see the opposition members in the House when it reassembles after the Gudhi Padva break on next Wednesday,” Bapat said.
He said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has held discussions with Assembly Speaker, Council Chairman and other group leaders.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters outside the Assembly, a Congress MLC said, “The government is likely to withdraw suspension of most of the legislators on Wednesday while keeping the suspension of legislators, who had actually burnt the budget copies. Their suspension could be revoked on the last day of the budget session.”
The decision was taken by the government after the Council Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar conducted the proceedings of the Upper House to pass the Appropriation (Vote on Account) Bill.
The Council was being adjourned within seconds of assembling after the suspension of the 19 MLAs earlier this week.
The government wanted to suspend ten opposition MLCs as well, who had burnt the budget copies but it does not have majority in the upper house, opposition members alleged.
