NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party chief and MLA Abu Azmi has written to assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar requesting the revocation of his suspension.
Azmi, who was suspended on Wednesday over his remarks on Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, argued that his statement was misinterpreted and taken out of context.
In his letter, Azmi stated, “Everything I said was based on quotes from various historians and writers. I did not make any controversial remarks about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. I deeply respect both Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”
Azmi was suspended for the remainder of the ongoing budget session after he claimed in an interview that India flourished under Aurangzeb’s rule and described the Mughal emperor as a great administrator.
His remarks sparked controversy, leading to his suspension. Following the decision, Azmi took to social media, calling the action against him “unfair” and questioning whether “two sets of laws” existed in the state. He also compared his case to that of BJP leaders Prashant Kortkar and Rahul Sholapurkar.
In his earlier statement, Azmi had said Aurangzeb should not be viewed solely as a tyrant but also as an administrator who contributed to India’s expansion.
He added that the conflict between Aurangzeb and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was political rather than religious. While Azmi later apologised for his remarks, he maintained that his words had been misrepresented and reiterated that his comments were based on historical accounts.
