By Shreyanka Nandan
MLA of Maharashtra and leader of Samajwadi Party (SP) Abu Azmi has been suspended from the State Assembly until the end of the present budget session after his controversial statement regarding the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
The statement generated by Azmi fuelled the scenario. His statement claims that India prospered under the rule of Aurangzeb. Thus, this statement led him to disciplinary action against him which led to his suspension.
As a reciprocation to this move, Azmi attacked the action against him as “unfair” and “injustice”. He straight away accused the Maharashtra government, by tweeting double standard questions in his X handle :
“My suspension from the Maharashtra assembly for the budget session is not just an injustice to me but also to the millions of people I represent. This is an unfair action against me. I would like to ask the Maharashtra government-are there two sets of laws in the state? One law for Abu Asim Azmi and another for Prashant Kortkar and Rahul Sholapurkar?”
Azmi remarked on this statement during an interview conducted last week. He claimed that Aurangzeb should not be seen merely as a ruthless ruler but also as a capable administrator who contributed to temple construction. He also claimed that during Aurangzeb’s rule, India’s borders extended to Afghanistan and Burma (now Myanmar). Furthermore, he argued that the battle between Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb was a political conflict rather than a religious one.
Amid the outrage, Azmi subsequently apologized but stood his ground on what he said, claiming that he was just saying what historians and authors have documented. He said his remarks were never to disrespect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj and blamed critics for twisting his words.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde condemned the comments of Azmi in the strongest possible words, calling him a “traitor” who has always disrespected Maharashtra’s great historical icons. “Azmi is a traitor and has no right to sit in the assembly. He has always been insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji and Sambhaji Maharaj,” Shinde declared.
FIR’s were launched against Azmi after the controversy for offending religious sentiments and defamation under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Later Azmi tried to explain the statement made by him in the context of the movie ‘Chhava’ which shows the battle between Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb.
However, the suspension of Azmi prompted high criticism from Samajwadi Party leaders. The Maharashtra government has been attacked by SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on grounds that it was trying to muffle free speech.
If suspensions are ideologically dictated, then freedom of expression takes a hit. Whether our legislatures or members of parliament are concerned, none of them would dare be equal to their gutsy wisdom. If there is a notion somewhere that a suspension can muzzle truth, it can only reflect one’s immaturity and pessimism,” Yadav said on X.
Presently, the controversy has sparked heated debates including among political leaders and historians. On one hand, some viewed Azmi’s remark as inappropriate and provocative while others argued his suspension raises concerns about freedom of speech in political discourse.