State Samajwadi Chief Abu Azmi was attacked inside the legislature by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) members on Monday, because the leader insisted on taking his oath as a legislature in Hindi. MNS chief Bal Thackeray in the morning had insisted that all 288 legislators should take their oath in Marathi. “If they try to stop me, they could attract privilege proceedings,” Azmi had declared, minutes before stepping inside the high security Maharashtra legislature at Nariman Point.
When his turn came, Azmi got up to take the oath in Hindi. Even as he uttered the first few words, MNS members, all of them first-timers in the House, sprang up from their seats, shouted slogans and rushed towards Azmi. As Azmi continued to take the oath in Hindi, MNS’s Ramesh Banjle uprooted the microphone and flung it away. Other MNS members came and surrounded Azmi, pushed and punched him and one member Ram Kadam was seen on live television slapping and hitting him on the chest and shoulders.
Chief minister Ashok Chavan, who was present when the MNS members created the ruckus, termed the incident as “regretful” and urged that the legislators should be dealt with very strictly.
Defending the actions of the party legislators, MNS spokesperson Shirish Parker even argued that Hindi was not the national language of the country.
Four legislators of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were suspended by the Maharashtra assembly on Monday for four years for attacking Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi for taking his legislator’s oath in Hindi.
The four legislators are: Shishir Shinde, Ram Kadam, who had slapped and punched Samajwadi Party member Abu Asim Azmi, Vasant Gite and Ramesh Banjle
Condemning the attack on Azmi, SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav said his party leader had done the nation proud by taking oath in the national lanaguage. “I would like to congratulate Azmi for maintaining the honour of the national language by taking oath in Hindi,” he told reporters in Lucknow.
As his response to he incident, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said in Patna that if efforts were not taken urgently to check divisive forces, the country could be ripped apart.
“If India splits, it will be because of elements like Raj Thackeray. If urgent steps are not taken to keep such elements under check, nobody can save the country from disintegration,” Prasad said, asking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take strong to stop such acts.
His ally and LJP leader Ram Vilas Paswan said, “Hindi is our national language and Raj Thackeray and others responsible for the assault on Azmi must be arrested immediately.”
Echoing similar sentiments, CPI leader D Raja said everyone had the right to take oath in the language he wants.
it’s relly good …it necessary to remebering that proud to be maharashtrian..
azmi not leavieng in up or bhihar..
when shushilkumar shinde also faced same issues in karnataka ……..
that right……..& in maharashtra it is wrong….WHY?
azmi…..marathi matiche mol fedu shakat nahit te deshache mol kay fitavatil….
third class azmi…..
raj thakare told him …..but azmi whan’t to become polytical hero…….
NICE WORKED DONE BY MNS LEADER…..
& I AM PROUD TO BE INDIAN AS WELL AS MAHARASTIAN…..
JAI HIND …..JAI MAHARASHTRA……
MNS ……GO AHED..