Mumbai, March 5 The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution by voice vote proposing the suspension of Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi till the conclusion of the ongoing Budget Session.
The resolution was passed for Abu Azmi’s glorification of Aurangzeb and also harming the honour of the House by defaming Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.
The resolution was moved by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil.
BJP legislator Sudhir Mungantiwar suggested that Azmi should not be suspended just for the Budget Session but for his entire term.
The Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said that the Opposition would not tolerate glorification of Aurangzeb and demanded that action should be taken against those insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
Thereafter, Speaker Rahul Narwekar put the resolution for vote and it was passed by voice vote amid the Opposition raising shogans like “Shivaji Maharaj ki jai.”
The passage of resolution proposing Azmi’s suspension till the end of the Budget Session comes a day after he had retracted his controversial statement that Aurangzeb should not be seen as a “cruel ruler but as an administrator.”
Both the Houses of the state legislature had adjourned on Tuesday for the day after the members from the Treasury Benches took strong objection against Azmi’s statement.
Azmi on Monday in the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan had told the media that “Aurangzeb was a great administrator and during his time, India was called 'Sone ki Chidiyan (golden bird)'. During Aurangzeb's rule, India's GDP was 24 per cent, due to which the British were attracted to the country and they came to Bharat.”
He further stated, “Wrong history is being shown. Aurangzeb built many temples. I do not consider Aurangzeb a cruel administrator. Also, the battle between Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb was a battle for state administration. That battle was not about Hindus and Muslims anywhere.”
This was strongly opposed by the MahaYuti legislators. Shiv Sena lodged cases against Azmi in Marine Drive and Thane demanding action under the sedition law.
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