SP MLA Abu Azmi suspended from Assembly for remarks on Aurangzeb

The motion of suspension was passed unanimously.

“Azmi’s comments praising Aurangzeb and criticising Sambhaji Maharaj do not suit the stature of a member of the Assembly and is an insult to the democratic institution of the Legislative Assembly,” Patil said.

BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar demanded stricter punishment to which Patil highlighted the Supreme Court order where suspension cannot be extended beyond one session.

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar supported the resolution saying the opposition too stands against the insult of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. “Action should also be taken against (former journalist) Prashant Koratkar and (Marathi actor) Rahul Solapurkar who insulted Maharaj. The government is keeping quiet on this,” he said.

Koratkar is accused of allegedly making a threat call to historian Indrajit Sawant. Countering Sawan’t version of the Maratha king’s history, Koratkar reportedly used abusive language and made derogatory remarks on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Sawant shared an audio clip of the telephonic conversation between the two.

Based on the complaint filed by Sawant, an FIR has been registered in Kolhapur against Koratkar who has denied his voice in the clip.

Actor Rahul Solapurkar, too, landed in a controversy after his statement in an interview about the escape of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from Agra. Solapurkar claimed that the escape of Shivaji Maharaj was not achieved using sweet containers, as popularly believed, but rather by bribing several commanders of Mughal emperor Aurangazeb.

Azmi had said, “Wrong history is being shown in Chhava… Aurangzeb built several temples… I do not think he was a cruel administrator.”

Azmi also said that during the Mughal emperor’s reign, India’s borders reached Afghanistan and then Burma, and the country was referred to as “sone ki chiriya (golden sparrow)” with its GDP accounting for 24% of the world GDP.

On Tuesday, Mahayuti MLAs had raised Azmi’s comments in the Assembly, triggering a heated verbal altercation. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, among others, demanded his suspension. The ensuing chaos led to the adjournment of the House even as Opposition parties termed the move a “political drama”.

Shinde called Azmi “a traitor who had no place in the House”, whose comments were “wrong, unacceptable and condemnable”. He also demanded that the SP MLA be booked for treason for praising Aurangzeb, who is often associated with cruelty towards Sambhaji, saying he had “insulted” national heroes, particularly the Maratha legacy.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Azmi said his statements were twisted.

“Whatever I have said about Aurangzeb is something that has been stated by historians and writers. I have not made any derogatory remarks against Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Maharaj or any national icons. Still, if anyone is hurt by my remarks, then I take back my statements and comments,” he said.