My decision on "real Shiv Sena" based on Supreme Court's guidelines: Narwekar

Maharashtra assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar Tuesday said that his decision to recognise Chief Minister Eknath Shindes faction as the real Shiv Sena was based on the guidelines provided by the Supreme CourtHe spoke to the media in Mumbai immediately after former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray at a press conference attacked his January 10 ruling on disqualification petitions filed by both Shinde and Thackeray camps against each others MLAs following a split in the party in June 2022 newswire PTI reportedThe speaker also justified his decision not to accept the undivided Shiv Senas amended constitution of 2018 The party had then informed the Election Commission only about Uddhav Thackeray being the party chief but not submitted the amended constitution he saidIn his ruling on real Shiv Sena Narwekar held that the Senas 1999 constitution was the valid one for deciding which faction was the real Shiv Sena My actions were based on the Supreme Courts guidelines he saidRules framed by a party should not just be on paper but must be implemented Narwekar further saidMeanwhile launching a broadside against Narwekar Thackeray Tuesday said he will take the battle to the peoples courtSpeaking at a peoples court and holding a mega press conference Thackeray said his fight would decide whether democracy survives in the countryThe peoples court was held in Worli the constituency of Uddhav Thackerays son and former state minister Aaditya Thackeray and attended by top leaders of the Shiv Sena UBT and the lawyers who were part of Thackerays legal team in the Supreme Court as well as before the Election Commission and at the hearings conducted by NarwekarAlso read Maharashtra CM Shindeled Sena moves HC against Speaker decision to not disqualify Uddhav Thackeray faction MLAsThackeray dubbed Narwekar as deceitful and challenged him and Chief Minister Shinde to a public debate with him on which faction was the real Shiv SenaI am taking this battle to the peoples court a combative Thackeray saidThackeray also relied on old videos of his election as party chief in 2013 and 2018 to buttress his point In one of the videos Narwekar is seen attending the party event when he was part of the undivided Shiv SenaIf he was not the legitimate Shiv Sena chief why the BJP invited him to Delhi after the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha poll victories Thackeray askedTargeting the Election Commission he asked whether it swallowed the constitution of the undivided Sena and said it should reimburse the money spent on 1941 lakh affidavits of party members signed on Rs 100 stamp papers which it had submitted during the hearings before the poll bodyShiv Sena UBT leader Anil Parab who is part of the team that takes care of the legal aspect of the case said between 2018 and 2022 the Election Commission of India communicated with the undivided Shiv Sena and Uddhav Thackeray regularlyJustifying his decision not to disqualify Thackeray faction MLAs Narwekar said the whip issued to them was not sent properlyTaking a dig at Thackeray Narwekar said a parttime president or parttime lawyer cannot do work and one has to dedicate himself fully to a partyRules framed by a party should not just be on paper but must be implemented Narwekar further said adding that running a party is a matter of responsibility