"I offered to withdraw my statement," SP's Abu Azmi questions suspension from Maharashtra Assembly

Abu Azmi said, "To ensure that the House functions, I spoke about withdrawing my statement. I did not say anything wrong. Still, there is a controversy and proceedings of the House are being stalled. To ensure that the House functions and some work is done during Budget Session...I withdrew the statement that I made outside the Assembly, not in the House. Still, I have been suspended."

Azmi also got the support of Samjawadi Party Chief and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav who claimed that the suspension was the violation of the freedom of expression.

"If the basis of suspension starts getting influenced by ideology, then what difference will there be between freedom of expression and subjection? Whether it is our MLAs or MPs, their fearless wisdom is unmatched. If some people think that by 'suspension' one can rein them in, then this is the childishness of their negative thinking," Akhilesh Yadav said.

Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar suspended Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi for the entire duration of the ongoing budget session on Wednesday over his remarks on Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. A proposal was brought in the Maharashtra Assembly today against Azmi's remarks.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandrakant Patil said in the House that Azmi's objectionable statement had hurt the dignity of the House, leading to the proposal to suspend his membership for this session, which the Speaker passed.

Azmi had reportedly said that Aurangzeb was not a "cruel administrator" and "built many temples". He added that the battle between the Mughal emperor and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj was for state administration and not about Hindu and Muslim.

Earlier on Tuesday, Abu Azmi said that his words had been twisted and that he was ready to take back his statement and apologise if sentiments were hurt.

"My words have been twisted. I have said what historians and writers have claimed about Aurangzeb Rahmatullah Ali," Azmi said.

"I have not made any derogatory comment about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Maharaj or any other great men - but still if anyone has been hurt by my statement, then I take back my words, my statement," Azmi said in a video on his X.

The MLA and Samajwadi Party chief on Maharashtra also said that the issue was being politicised.

"The issue is being made a political issue, and I think that closing the budget session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly because of this is causing harm to the people of Maharashtra," Azmi said.

Earlier, a zero FIR was registered against Azmi in the Naupada Police Station of Thane and was transferred to the Marine Drive police station in Mumbai in connection with his remarks on Aurangzeb. (ANI)