'Send him to UP, we will do his treatment': Yogi Adityanath blasts SP over Abu Azmi's Aurangzeb remarks

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday lashed out at the Samajwadi Party over Abu Azmi's controversial remarks praising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, demanding action against him. “Remove that person from (Samajwadi) party and send him to UP, we will do his treatment,” Adityanath said, questioning why the party had not taken a stronger stance against Azmi’s comments. “The person who feels ashamed about the heritage of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, instead of taking pride and considers Aurangzeb as his idol, does he have the right to stay in our country? Samajwadi Party should answer this.”

Azmi, the Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra unit president and MLA from Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar, had sparked outrage after claiming that during Aurangzeb’s reign, India’s borders extended to Afghanistan and Burma (Myanmar), and that the country accounted for 24% of the world’s GDP. His remarks, which he later withdrew, led to an uproar in the Maharashtra Assembly, with the ruling alliance accusing him of insulting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

Today, the Maharashtra Assembly suspended Azmi for the remainder of the budget session following a motion moved by state minister Chandrakant Patil. “Azmi’s comments praising Aurangzeb and criticising Sambhaji Maharaj do not suit the stature of a member of the assembly and is an insult of the democratic institution of the legislative assembly,” Patil said.

On Tuesday, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde led the attack against Azmi, both in the legislative council and the assembly, condemning his repeated statements about Shivaji Maharaj. “Azmi is purposely insulting Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj. Sambhaji Maharaj’s bravery and Aurangzeb’s cruelty will give goosebumps to people,” Shinde said, adding that the Mughal emperor had brutally tortured Sambhaji Maharaj and destroyed temples across India.

“Aurangzeb lost even after he won, but Sambhaji, through his bravery, won even after his sacrifice. He (Aurangzeb) is a demon. Even a true Muslim will not forgive the progeny of traitors. It is wrong to eulogise Aurangzeb,” Shinde declared. 

Yogi Adityanath further questioned the Samajwadi Party’s silence on the matter. “On one hand, you keep blaming Maha Kumbh...on the other hand, you praise a person like Aurangzeb, who destroyed the temples of the country...why can’t you control that MLA of yours? Why didn’t you condemn his statement?” he asked.