Maharashtra Politics: Shinde faction cross examines witnesses; accuses UBT's Sunil Prabhu of forging Whip

The Eknath Shinde-led faction of the Shiv Sena has alleged that the whip produced by Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT faction) leader Sunil Prabhu before the Supreme Court as well as during disqualification proceedings before the Maharashtra Speaker, was not genuine. .The accusation was made during the cross-examination of Prabhu that was conducted on November 22 (Wednesday) and November 23 (Thursday), before the Maharashtra Speaker. The speaker is hearing the disqualification proceedings concerning rebel Shiva Sena legislators.The Supreme Court had recently ordered the Speaker to decide on the matter by December 31, after allegations were made by Prabhu before the top court that the Speaker had been delaying the proceedings. .The June 21, 2022 whip at the center of the controversy was issued to call a meeting of the Shiv Sena and pass a resolution to remove Eknath Shinde as the party’s leader in the Legislative Assembly. The said whip was issued shortly after certain members of the Shiv Sena party reportedly went "missing" while travelling to Gujarat. The missing members later joined the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena. .“I put to you that the alleged original Whip was never prepared by you on 21tst June 2022,” Senior Counsel Mahesh Jethmalani representing the Shinde faction said on November 23, while questioning Prabhu (UBT faction), who responded in the negative. The Shinde faction further alleged that there was a chance of reconciliation between Eknath Shinde and others, including Uddhav Thackarey, on June 21, 2022. As such, there was no occasion to pass the June 21, 2022 resolution, he said.“I put it to you that on 21" June 2022, all the legislators and particularly pakshapramukh Shri Uddhav Thackeray were seeking a reconciliation with Shri Eknath Shinde and others and mediators were sent to Surat to meet Shri Shinde and therefore, the question of any Resolution being passed removing Shri Eknath Shinde from his post and replacing him with another did not arise on 2lst June, 2022,” the Shinde faction counsel remarked..In response, Prabu maintained that the June 21 resolution was passed in a meeting convened under the chairmanship of Thackeray."At that time, all the legislators present stated that they are behind pakshapramukh Shri Uddhav Thackeray. At that time, the Resolution was made," Prabhu said in response to a related query..The Shinde faction counsel also implied that the three persons who were said to have seconded the resolution and signed it (namely Udhay Samant, Dada Bhuse and Sanjay Rathod) had not actually done so. The Shinde faction counsel argued that the signatures on the resolution were forged and accused Prabhu of being directly responsible for it.A discrepancy with regard to the absence of a handwritten date on an "accurate copy" of the whip document was also highlighted by the Shinde faction counsel.In view of these allegations, the counsel questioned Prabhu on whether he had forged the document which was ultimately submitted before the Supreme Court as well as the Speaker. .All of the allegations were strongly denied by Prabhu who also took objection to the line of questioning. “I have sworn upon the constitution that I shall speak the truth. I was present there. They have signed in front of my eyes. In these circumstances, how can I lie? You are putting me in this witness box and making me look like a convict,” responded the Thackeray faction leader..Prabhu was cross-examined on three dates between November 21-23 before the Speaker during the hearing of his petitions to disqualify erstwhile members of the then common Shiv Sena party, who joined the Shinde faction leading to a split of the party. During the cross-examination held on November 21, Prabhu was also accused of signing the disqualification petitions without understanding them.However, he responded that the contents of the petitions were explained to him before he signed them."How can this be possible? I am a responsible public representative having been elected by two and a half to three lakhs electorate. I am not illiterate. I understand confidently in my language, therefore, I have understood the contents in my language and thereafter signed," he is stated to have responded. .When asked whether he or his party had verbally attacked the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) or Indian National Congress (with whom the party entered into an alliance after the election results) or their leaders during the 2019 elections, Prabhu responded that he did not have occasion to attack any person.