Abu Azmi Suspended Over Aurangzeb Remarks, Sparks Row

Abu Azmi challenged his suspension over Aurangzeb remarks, sparking political outrage in Maharashtra amid sedition calls and freedom of speech debates.

on Mar 07, 2025

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi challenged his suspension from the Maharashtra assembly at a press conference on Wednesday, saying that he had only quoted historical accounts.

"I was told that a case has been filed against me. I told what I read in records. I merely said what professors say about Aurangzeb and what is in the history. If saying that is wrong, then what was done to those who brought these books out?" Azmi told.

He added that he would get clarification from the Speaker why he had been suspended.

Azmi was suspended from the current budget session on Wednesday after his controversial comments about Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

His remark, in which he allegedly said that India prospered during Aurangzeb's rule, invited a political controversy, with politicians of the ruling coalition condemning him.

The uproar followed Azmi, who is also Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra president, accusing India of having flourished in the times of Aurangzeb, under whose reign the empire reached as far as Afghanistan and Myanmar. He also added that temples were constructed by Aurangzeb and that he was not a tyrant.

His comments sparked an outburst of anger everywhere, with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde describing his comments as "treasonous."

Complaints have been lodged against Azmi under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at Mumbai and Thane police stations. A Zero FIR had been filed first in Thane before it was shifted to Mumbai.

The Shiv Sena has organized state-wide protests, calling for the suspension of Azmi from the Maharashtra Assembly and filing sedition charges against him.

The party has accused him of humiliating the legacy of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was brutally tortured and killed by Aurangzeb.

The controversy has also heightened political temperatures in Maharashtra, with the government parties strongly criticizing Azmi's remarks and the opposition criticizing the government of stifling freedom of speech.

For More Latest News Visit: Frontlist