SP MLA Suspended From Maharashtra Assembly For Praising Aurangzeb

Mumbai: Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi has paid the price over his observations on Aurangzeb.

Azmi was on Wednesday suspended from Maharashtra Assembly till the end of the budget session (March 26) for eulogising the Mughal emperor recently.

Members of the treasury benches were of the opinion that praise for Aurangzeb amounted to insult of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

Parliamentary Affairs minister Chandrakant Patil informed the House that Azmi’s objectionable remarks had undermined the dignity of the Assembly, and a proposal for his suspension for the session was introduced.

Speaker Rahul Narwekar approved the proposal and the motion of suspension was passed by a voice vote.

“Azmi’s comments praising Aurangzeb and criticising Sambhaji Maharaj do not suit the stature of a member of the assembly and is an insult of the democratic institution of the legislative assembly,” Patil said.

Azmi, the president of SP’s Maharashtra unit, had said that during Aurangzeb’s reign, India’s border stretched to Afghanistan and Burma (Myanmar).

“Our GDP accounted for 24 per cent (of the world GDP) and India was called a golden sparrow (during his regime),” said Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency MLA Azmi. He went on to describe the fight between Aurangzeb and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj as a political battle.

His comments rocked both houses of the state legislature on Tuesday. Some members of the ruling coalition demanded his suspension and that he be booked for treason. BJP MLA Navneet Rana went to the extent of urging the state government to demolish Aurangzeb’s grave at Khuldabad, in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district.

Azmi said his statements were twisted, and offered his apology if anyone was hurt by his comments.

Also Read: [Watch] Send SP MLA To UP, Will Do His Treatment: Yogi Adityanath On Abu Azmi’s Praise For Aurangzeb