Maha Assembly Speaker sets up privileges committee

Amid uproar over Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut's comments, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar on Wednesday constituted the privileges committee of the lower house for 2023-24.

The 15-member committee comprises three MLAs of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), two members of the Congress, two independent MLAs supporting the ruling alliance, two MLAs of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and six Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs.

Notably, no MLA of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena found place on the panel. The constitution of the committee came in the backdrop of uproar in the House earlier in the day over Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut allegedly calling the Vidhimandal (state legislature) ''chor-mandal'' (council of thieves).

Narvekar had stated in the Assembly that he would conduct an inquiry into the issue of Raut's comments -- which he termed as serious and insult of the legislature -- and give his ruling on March 8.