Aurangzeb remarks row: Maharashtra assembly suspends SP MLA Abu Azmi amidst political heat

The Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday suspended SP MLA Abu Asim Azmi from House membership till end of ongoing budget session as he faces accusations of sympathising with Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

This development comes a day after a zero FIR was filed against Azmi for his controversial remarks regarding Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

The FIR was initially registered at the Naupada Police Station in Thane before being transferred to the Marine Drive police station in Mumbai.

What is the case against SP MLA Abu Azmi?

The case has been filed under sections 299, 302, 356(1), and 356(2) of the Bharat Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

The FIR follows a formal complaint from Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske.

Azmi's remarks, made during a media interaction, involved his defense of Aurangzeb as a “good administrator.” Azmi said on Monday, "All the wrong history is being shown" about Aurangzeb, adding that the emperor "built many temples" and was "not a cruel leader."

Mhaske condemned Azmi’s comments, saying, "Abu Azmi has no right to stay in India."

He called for a sedition case against the SP MLA, citing Aurangzeb’s destruction of Hindu temples, torture of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, and his opposition to the country.

Mhaske also referred to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s demand for legal action, announcing that a sedition case would be filed on Tuesday.

Shinde labeled Azmi's comments "wrong and unacceptable," pointing to the emperor's brutal treatment of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and emphasizing that honoring such a figure was a "grave insult to Maharashtra's legacy." Shinde further called for Azmi to be charged with treason, a demand that continues to fuel heated debate across the state.

Abu Azmi defends himself

In response, Azmi defended his remarks, reiterating that Aurangzeb also destroyed mosques and rejecting claims that the emperor was "anti-Hindu."

He argued that 34% of Hindus served in Aurangzeb’s administration, and many of his advisors were Hindus. Azmi contended that India flourished under Aurangzeb’s rule, describing it as a "golden sparrow" for the country.

Further, Azmi dismissed attempts to give a communal angle to the issue.

"The struggle for power and property by kings in the past was not religious," Azmi said and insisted he had not made any remarks against "Hindu brothers."