MLA Abu Azmi suspended until the end of the budget session

• Glorification of Aurangzeb backfires

• BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar demands permanent disqualification of Azmi’s membership

BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar (left)

Mumbai -The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has taken action against Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi for his remarks praising the tyrant Aurangzeb. Azmi, who referred to Aurangzebinfamous for demolishing Hindu temples, imposing the Jizya tax, and committing atrocities against womenas a “good administrator,” has been suspended for the duration of the budget session. The resolution for his suspension was unanimously passed on 5thMarch.BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar strongly opposed the temporary nature of the suspension and demanded that Azmi’s membership be permanently revoked. The session witnessed widespread protests from both ruling and opposition party members, who raised slogans condemning Azmi.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil tabled the resolution for Azmi’s suspension, which was put to a vote by Speaker Rahul Narwekar. The resolution was passed unanimously. During the session, slogans like “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharajancha Vijay Aso,” “Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharajancha Vijay Aso,” and “Har Har Mahadev” echoed throughout the assembly.

MLAs who glorify a rogue like Aurangzeb should be disqualified – Sudhir Mungantiwar, BJP

Sudhir Mungantiwar, BJP

Citing past precedents, Mungantiwar recalled that in February 2017, an MLC was suspended for making derogatory remarks about soldiers. A committee was appointed to investigate the matter, and the MLC’s salary and railway coupons were revoked. He further noted that individuals who praised Nathuram Godse were imprisoned, questioning why Azmi’s suspension was limited only to the budget session despite his glorification of Aurangzeb, a tyrant ruler who imprisoned his own father and denied him water. Mungantiwar asserted that there should be no restrictions on raising concerns over insults to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in the assembly. He demanded that any individual glorifying Aurangzeb for political gains should have their membership permanently revoked.

Responding to Mungantiwar’s demands, Chandrakant Patil pointed outthat during the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi Government, 12 members of the Mahayuti alliance were suspended, leading them to approach the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that permanent suspension of members was not permissible. Hence, Patil proposed forming a committee to review the possibility of revoking Azmi’s membership while suspending him for the budget session.During the session, Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar supported increasing Azmi’s punishment. However, he also demanded action against actors Rahul Solapurkar and Prashant Koratkar for allegedly insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.