Lucknow: Amid the ongoing political storm triggered by MLA Abu Azmi’s statement that Aurangzeb was a ‘good administrator’ and his criticism of the portrayal of historical events in the movie ‘Chhava’—centred around Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj—Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has reacted.
“Remove that person from (Samajwadi) party and send him to UP, we will do his treatment. The person who feels ashamed about the heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, instead of taking pride and considers Aurangzeb as his idol, does he have the right to stay in our country? Samajwadi Party should answer this. On one hand, you keep blaming Maha Kumbh…on the other hand, you praise a person like Aurangzeb, who destroyed the temples of the country…why can’t you control that MLA of yours? Why didn’t you condemn his statement?” Yogi said.
#WATCH | Lucknow: On Samajwadi party MLA Abu Azmi's statement on Aurangzeb, which he later withdrew, UP CM Yogi Adityanath says, " Remove that person from (Samajwadi) party and send him to UP, we will do his treatment. The person who feels ashamed about the heritage of… pic.twitter.com/SHXClYoyaz
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2025
Earlier in the day, SP MLA Abu Azmi was suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly for the whole session amid the controversy. A motion to suspend the four-time MLA was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil and the same was passed by the Assembly on Wednesday.
Azmi, who had withdrew his comment, said it was an “injustice” and questioned the double standards of the government.
“My suspension is an injustice, not just to me but to the millions of people whom I represent… I would like to ask the government whether two types of laws are followed in the state? One law for Abu Azmi and another law for Prashant Koratkar and Rahul Sholapurkar,” he said in a video post on X.
Earlier, Azmi had claimed that India was referred to as “sone ki chiriya (golden bird)” during Aurangzeb’s tenure, with the country’s economy accounting for 24% of the global GDP. He also claimed that India’s borders reached Afghanistan and then Burma.
“Wrong history is being shown in ‘Chaava’… Aurangzeb built several temples. I do not think he was a cruel administrator,” Azmi said. As his remarks triggered an uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly, with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde demanding his suspension, Azmi withdrew his statement. He claimed his words were twisted.
“I have said what historians and writers have claimed about Aurangzeb Rahmatullah Ali… I have not made any derogatory comments about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Maharaj. But still, if anyone has been hurt by my statement, then I take back my words, my statement,” Azmi said in a post on X.
महाराष्ट्र विधानसभा द्वारा बजट सत्र के लिए मेरा निलंबन सिर्फ मेरे साथ नहीं बल्कि जिनका मैं प्रतिनिधित्व करता हूँ उन लाखों लोगों के साथ नाइंसाफी है, ये मेरे साथ ज़्यादती है।
मैं महाराष्ट्र सरकार से पूछना चाहूंगा क्या राज्य में दो तरह के कानून चलते है? अबू आसिम आज़मी के लिए अलग… pic.twitter.com/Qchx6Yfc1N
— Abu Asim Azmi (@abuasimazmi) March 5, 2025
