SP MLA Abu Azmi Approaches Bombay HC Seeking Quashing of FIRs Over Remarks Praising Aurangzeb
Samajwadi Party Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Abu Azmi has recently approached the Bombay High Court, seeking quashing of two First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against him over his controversial remarks praising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
A division bench comprising Justices A.S. Gadkari and Rajesh S. Patil will hear Azmi's plea filed by his advocate Mubin Solkar. The plea claims that the SP leader never made any derogatory remarks against the Maratha king and alleges that his statements were taken out of context by political opponents to serve their own interests.
The controversy erupted after Azmi, while speaking to the media near Mumbai’s Marine Drive, remarked that Aurangzeb was a good administrator. He also said that during Aurangzeb’s reign, India’s borders stretched as far as Afghanistan and Burma, and that "India was called a golden sparrow."
These statements were perceived by many as an attempt to glorify the Mughal emperor, sparking strong backlash from political opponents who accused Azmi of hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu community.
Following the outrage, Azmi was subsequently suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly for the duration of the ongoing budget session.
Initially, an FIR had been registered in Thane based on a complaint by Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske, accusing Azmi of attempting to incite communal sentiments. The cases were later transferred to Mumbai, where the Marine Drive police registered a fresh FIR against him.
The Marine Drive police booked Azmi under Sections 299 (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 302 (deliberately wounding religious sentiments), and 356(1) (defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNSS).