Ashish Deshmukh, son of a senior Congress leader and former minister Ranjeet Deshmukh, was a director in the Nagpur District Central Cooperative Bank (NDCCB) when the scam took place. Both Deshmukhs and Kedars have been traditional rivals.
A note on his reaction shared by Deshmukh says Kedar had been “doing injustice to the people of Saoner and was involved in illegal activities apart from bullying the common people”. “His network of middlemen through whom he earned money by questionable means was spread across Vidarbha,” Deshmukh mentioned in the statement.
Desmkuh mentioned that as per Supreme Court decision of 2013 in Lilly Thomas vs Union of India case, any public representative stands disqualified if the term of sentence is more than two years and there is no stay by a higher court.
BJP MLA from East Nagpur Krishna Khopde hit out at state Congress chief Nana Patole on the matter. “There is no need to make it a political issue as it (disqualification) came after a court verdict. The trial continued for more than 20 years and the accused were finally convicted,” he said.
“The rule for disqualification of public representatives after conviction has been there since Congress times. Why is the party taking an objection if their MLA has been disqualified under the same rule?” said Khopde. Former mayor Pravin Datke said the law has taken its course.
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Saoner MLA Sunil Kedar’s rigorous imprisonment in the NDCCB scam could lead to his disqualification as his prison sentence is over two years, according to the legal community. The assembly speaker has the prerogative to make the decision. The Supreme Court ruling in the case of Lily Thomas versus Union of India supports this point, stating that any MP, MLA, or MLC convicted of a crime and given a minimum of two years’ imprisonment immediately loses their membership. Azam Khan’s disqualification in Uttar Pradesh based on a two-year sentence serves as an example. Kedar’s supporters believe the court verdict is a blow to the Congress party, as he is a popular leader in Nagpur district and has played a significant role in the party’s recent electoral victories.
Congress MLA Sunil Kedar, former Saoner minister, was convicted in the Rs 150 crore Nagpur District Central Cooperative Bank (NDCCB) scam and disqualified from the Maharashtra legislative assembly. The conviction resulted in his disqualification under Article 191 (1) (e) of the Constitution of India, read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. His lawyer plans to challenge the conviction in the sessions court. If the conviction is stayed or bail is granted, the disqualification can be reversed. The Election Commission of India will decide on conducting by-polls in Saoner.
Congress leaders criticize BJP for discriminatory tactics against opposition leaders. They question why the same rules were not applied to BJP representatives. Nana Patole raises concerns about the treatment of Naranbhai Kachhadia and the BJP MLA from Muzzafar Nagar. Atul Londhe emphasizes the need for equal justice. Vilas Muttemwar accuses the BJP of discrimination against opposition leaders.