Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi voiced his disappointment on Wednesday after being suspended for the entire duration of the ongoing Maharashtra budget session over his controversial remarks on Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Azmi expressed frustration, stating that he had already offered to withdraw his comments to ensure the smooth functioning of the House. “To ensure that the House functions, I spoke about withdrawing my statement. I did not say anything wrong. Still, there is controversy and the proceedings of the House are being stalled. I withdrew the statement I made outside the Assembly, not in the House. Despite that, I have been suspended,” Azmi said.
Backing Azmi, Samajwadi Party Chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav called the suspension a violation of freedom of expression. “If the basis of suspension starts getting influenced by ideology, then what difference will there be between freedom of expression and subjection? Whether it is our MLAs or MPs, their fearless wisdom is unmatched. If some people think that by ‘suspension’ one can rein them in, then this is the childishness of their negative thinking,” Yadav posted on X.
Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar approved the proposal to suspend Azmi, following Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil’s assertion that Azmi’s remarks had hurt the dignity of the House.
Azmi’s comments that Aurangzeb was not a “cruel administrator” and had “built many temples” sparked outrage. He had also claimed that the battle between the Mughal emperor and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was over state administration, not religion.
On Tuesday, Azmi clarified his stance, stating that his words had been misinterpreted. “My words have been twisted. I have said what historians and writers have claimed about Aurangzeb Rahmatullah Ali,” he explained. “I have not made any derogatory comment about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Maharaj, or any other great men — but still, if anyone has been hurt by my statement, I take back my words.”
Azmi also claimed the issue was being politicized at the cost of legislative work. “The issue is being made into a political matter, and I think stalling the budget session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly because of this is harming the people of Maharashtra,” he said.
Meanwhile, a zero FIR was registered against Azmi at the Naupada Police Station in Thane, later transferred to the Marine Drive Police Station in Mumbai following a complaint by Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske.
