MUMBAI: The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on a petition seeking his disqualification as a legislator for his alleged non-disclosure of two criminal cases pending against him. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has demanded his resignation.
Reacting to the notice, the Chief Minister’s Office clarified that the CM will file a reply before the apex court. “Fadnavis had filed all details about the cases against him in the election affidavit in 2014. The petitioner had moved the High Court which dismissed the case, calling it baseless,” the CMO said.
The statement issued by the CMO stated that Satish Ukey then moved the Sessions Court, which directed the Magistrate to reconsider its decision. On this, the Chief Minister went to the High Court challenging the Sessions Court order. Ukey then challenged the High Court’s decision in the Supreme Court.
In his petition, lawyer Ukey alleged that there are cases of cheating and defamation pending against Fadnavis which he did not disclose in his 2014 election affidavit.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices SK Kaul and KM Joseph sought response of the Chief Minister on an appeal filed against the Bombay High Court order.
Former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan demanded that Fadnavis disclose all the cases filed against him. “The CM claims he has transparency in the government, then he has to give information to the people of the state. There are 22 cases filed against him, which he mentioned in his affidavit, out of which charges have been framed in one case. It is the responsibility of the CM to make all the cases public,” he said.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has demanded his resignation.
Nawab Malik, NCP’s spokesperson said, “Fadnavis should resign from his post on moral grounds.”
