If Shinde, 15 other MLAs are disqualified by SC verdict, group of traitors will be finished: Raut

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 11 (ANI): Ahead of the Supreme Court's verdict on last year's Maharashtra political crisis, Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that if 16 MLAs of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena including Chief Minister Eknath Shinde are disqualified, "then the group of traitors will be finished".

"If the 16 MLAs including CM Shinde are disqualified today, then this group of traitors will be finished," Raut told ANI.

A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court will pronounce a verdict relating to last year's Maharashtra political crisis which led to a split in Shiv Sena.

The bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices MR Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha will pronounce judgement on a batch of cross-petitions filed by Uddhav Thackeray and chief minister M Eknath Shinde factions on Maharashtra political crisis.

The crisis prompted a change of guard in the state last year with Shinde joining hands with BJP to form the government.

The judgement would also have broader implications as the court is likely to decide the role of the Speaker and the Governor in case of defections and intra-party crisis.

On Wednesday, Raut said the judgement would decide whether "democracy is alive or not" in the country.

"The judgement by the Supreme Court will be very important for the state of Maharashtra and the country. We are not predicting what Supreme Court will say tomorrow but for democracy tomorrow is important. We will also get to see if there is pressure on the judiciary or not," he said.

"Today, Pakistan is burning because there is no democracy alive there. The SC decision will tell us if democracy is alive in our country or not," he added.

Raut also slammed Maharashtra assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar over his remarks "only the Speaker has the power to decide on MLA's disqualification and not the court". (ANI)