'FIR, sedition & suspension demand': Row over Abu Azmi's Aurangzeb remarks refuses to die down despite his apology

NEW DELHI: Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi's remarks hailing Mughal emperor Aurangzeb for being a good administrator has ruffled some feathers especially in the Maharashtra political landscape with the Shiv Sena announcing a statewide protest. The controversy refuses to die down even as the SP leader issued an apology while also defending his remarks saying that he had said what historians and writers have already stated.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have also demanded the Maharashtra MLA's suspension and an FIR was also filed against him.
The remarks attracted condemnation from Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde who said: "The statement made by Abu Azmi is condemnable. Earlier too, he had said that Aurangzeb had done good works, he was warned back then. However, he has once again done that. Aurangzeb tortured Chhatrapati Sambhaji... one who vandalised Hindu temples, tortured people, how can he be good? This is disrespect to our country, Maharashtra, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj..."

Providing clarifications on his statement, Azmi said that he never made any derogatory comment about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
"My words have been twisted. I have said what historians and writers have said about Aurangzeb Rahmatullah Ali. 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," he said in a video statement.
He further addressed the controversy made out of it and said that not conducting the state budget session citing this reason was causing harm to the "people of Maharashtra".
"This 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," he said.

SP MP Awadhesh Prasad came out in support of his party member and attacked Shinde saying that he lacked historical knowledge.
"Maharashtra's Deputy CM has no knowledge of history. If he knew history, he wouldn't have given such a statement. Abu Azmi's statements are not condemnable. Samajwadi party always talks about integrating the society and safeguarding the Constitution... Maharashtra's DCM did not understand the essence of what Abu Azmi wanted to say, and that is why he is making baseless comments..," he said.

Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has not made any remarks so far.

However, this is not the first time that Azmi had stoked a controversy. In 2023, he sparked a controversy at the state assembly after he claimed that his community couldn't chant Vande Matram because Islam did not permit to do so.
"We only believe in Allah. Our religion does not permit us to bow down before anyone and hence we cannot chant Vande Mataram," he had said.
In 2019, he had voiced his dissent over Indian Cricket Team wearing saffron jersey in a match against England in the World Cup.
“If you give the colour of the flag to the team then I think it’s okay. But if everything has to be saffron then it’s unfair and wrong. The public should oppose this,” Azmi had said.
In 2014, the SP leader had made a statement against rape survivors saying that only men get punished for the crime when "even woman is guilty."
“Rape is punishable by hanging in Islam. But here, nothing happens to women, only to men. Even the woman is guilty,” he had said, later clarifying that his statements were "misinterpreted".