'He should be permanently suspended': Uddhav Thackeray slams Akhilesh Yadav for defending Abu Azmi 

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has demanded a permanent suspension for Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Abu Azmi, who was ousted from the Maharashtra Assembly for the remainder of the Budget session over his remarks praising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. “He should be permanently suspended. It should not just be for the Budget Session, the suspension should be permanent,” Thackeray said on Wednesday.

Azmi, the Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra unit president and MLA from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, had claimed that during Aurangzeb’s reign, India’s borders extended to Afghanistan and Burma (Myanmar) and that the country’s GDP accounted for 24% of the world’s total. His remarks triggered a political storm, with ruling party members accusing him of insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Following the outrage, the Maharashtra Assembly passed a motion suspending him until March 26.

Responding to SP chief Akhilesh Yadav’s objection to Azmi’s suspension, Thackeray said, “Let him object if he wants to. The entire Maharashtra has raised an objection against him. If he wants, he should make him contest from there (UP). He does not know the truth.”

Yadav, defending Azmi, questioned the basis of the suspension. “If the basis of suspension starts getting influenced by ideology, then what difference will remain between freedom of expression and slavery?” the SP chief said. He accused the BJP of using suspensions to silence opposition voices. “If some people think that by ‘suspension’ one can put a rein on the tongue of truth, then this is the childishness of their negative thinking.” 

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a scathing attack on the Samajwadi Party, accusing it of glorifying Aurangzeb. “It is unfortunate that the Samajwadi Party considers Aurangzeb as its ideal. Even Aurangzeb’s father, Shah Jahan, wrote in his autobiography that he wished no one would ever have such a wretched son,” Adityanath said in the UP Legislative Council.

He further questioned the SP’s stance, asking, “The SP must answer whether it truly considers a tyrant like Aurangzeb its role model, a ruler who attacked India’s faith and traditions.” Adityanath highlighted Aurangzeb’s oppressive policies, including the imposition of the jizya tax and the persecution of non-Muslims.