Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant on Sunday launched a sharp attack on Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla for recognising the merger of six rebel party MPs with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, calling the decision constitutionally invalid and accusing the Speaker's office of acting outside the law.
Opposition Walks Out Ahead of Monsoon Session
Sawant said the party registered its protest by walking out of an all-party meeting that was convened ahead of the Monsoon Session of Parliament, due to open on Monday. The walkout by opposition members came only minutes after the meeting began, and the MPs returned to the table shortly after. Several opposition leaders linked the brief demonstration to a series of recent defections: 20 Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs had announced a merger with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI), while six Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs had separately moved to align themselves with the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde.
Speaking to reporters once the walkout ended, Sawant argued that the defections had no legal cover. He said the six MPs who left the UBT Sena could not be recognised under the anti-defection law, adding, "It is unlawful and therefore we have protested against it." According to him, neither the Constitution nor the Tenth Schedule contains any clause that would allow such a switch to be treated as valid.
Speaker's Order Takes Shiv Sena's Tally to 13
Sawant's comments came a day after Om Birla, on Saturday, formally approved the merger of the six Shiv Sena (UBT) rebel MPs with the Shiv Sena headed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The approval pushes the Shinde-led Shiv Sena's strength in the Lok Sabha up to 13 members, while the UBT Sena's presence in the House shrinks to just three MPs. The number matters because it determines how many seats and how much speaking time each faction gets once the Monsoon Session opens.
In a related move, the Speaker also cleared separate seating arrangements in the Lok Sabha for the 20 MPs who had broken away from the Trinamool Congress and declared their merger with the NCPI. However, unlike the Shiv Sena case, the Speaker has not yet approved the actual merger of these rebel TMC MPs with the NCPI, leaving that process still pending.
Sawant Questions the Wording of the Speaker's Letter
Sawant said the party was closely studying the language used in the Speaker's letter on the matter. He pointed out that the Trinamool group had only been permitted to sit separately in the House, and that the Speaker's letter had described their case as an "affiliation" rather than a "merger." He also said the letter did not specify the legal provision or framework under which the decision had been made, calling this a gap that needed to be examined. A formal merger under the Tenth Schedule offers legal protection against disqualification, he noted, whereas a mere seating arrangement carries no such protection.
Uddhav Thackeray to Decide the Party's Next Move
Asked how the UBT Sena planned to respond, Sawant said the party would act on the direction of its chief, Uddhav Thackeray, referred to by party workers as "Saheb." He said the final call on the course of action, including any legal or political steps, rested with Thackeray, and that the party leadership would take a decision in due course.
Sawant Renews Attack Over Ram Mandir Donation Row
Sawant then turned to the ongoing controversy over donations at the Ram Temple, accusing people linked to the government of being involved in the alleged irregularities. He listed a set of allegations, including theft from the offerings and the donation box at the Lord Ram temple, irregular purchases of land plots around the site, and broader corruption and misconduct, claiming that those responsible were all connected to the government.
He further alleged that none of the Shankaracharyas had attended the Ram Temple's inauguration, and accused the government of turning the nationwide faith in Lord Ramchandra into a political and commercial opportunity. He said the government had used that faith to come to power and was now converting it into a marketplace once again.
