Disruptions will not be tolerated, says Speaker

Nana Patole, Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, said on Tuesday that no disruptions will be tolerated in the House from Wednesday.

The Assembly as well as the Legislative Council saw ruckus on Tuesday with opposition BJP reminding Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray of his old demand that farmers hit by unseasonal rain be provided aid.

"I have given the last warning to new members for creating a scene in the Assembly and no one would be spared for disrupting proceedings," Patole told PTI.

He called MLAs of both Shiv Sena and BJP, who were involved in the ruckus, to his chamber and gave them a strict warning that they must abide by the rules and traditions of the House, the Speaker said.

"They are newly elected members, so they might not be aware of the rules," he said.

Patole, who returned to the Congress in 2017 after a brief stint as MP with the BJP, criticized Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis for 'not acting on' his announcement to give subsidy of Rs 500 per quintal to paddy cultivators two years ago when he was chief minister.

"I met CM Thackeray and demanded the subsidy. He immediately issued GR (government resolution/order)," Patole said.

During the proceedings on Tuesday, BJP MLA Abhimanyu Pawar tried to display a banner, carrying a report published in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' about Thackeray demanding Rs 25,000 per hectare for farmers hit by untimely rains.

BJP MLAs sought to remind Thackeray of this demand made by him before he became the CM.

Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad tried to snatch the banner from Pawar and the two briefly held each other by the collar before others pulled them apart.