MLAs suspended for creating ruckus in Assembly

Two MLAs of the Raj Thackeray-led MNS were suspended for a day from the state assembly after they waved banners in the House about Indiabulls' donation of Rs 2.5 crore to the Bhujbal foundation.

The duo, Prakash Bhoir (Kalyan West) and Nitin Bhosale (Nashik city), along with other MNS MLAs, including its group leader Bala Nandgaonkar, were holding a banner demanding Public Works minister Chhagan Bhujbal's resignation on the issue.

When the House proceedings commenced, Opposition benches raised slogans, demanding Bhujbal's resignation. The assembly speaker Dilip Walse Patil asked them not to disrupt the House. However, despite his directive, the banner was not withdrawn, leading him to announce suspension of the two MNS members.

He also adjourned the House for an hour. Eyebrows were raised in political and industrial circles recently over reports of Indiabulls' donation of Rs 2.5 crore to the Bhujbal foundation, which has been organising the prestigious Nashik festival since 2009. Indiabulls is a leading group engaged in real estate, power and financial services.

Bhujbal recently said that besides Indiabulls, a large number of industrial houses and individuals, have also donated to the foundation. "We spend the amount received from industrial houses and individuals for the Nashik festival. It will be wrong to link the Indiabulls donations to major contracts allotted to it in the Nashik region," Bhujbal had said.