Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi Today (June 30) approached the Bombay High Court to cancel FIRs filed against him for praising Aurangzeb in the Maharashtra Assembly. He claims the cases are politically motivated and his words were misquoted.
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MAHARASHTRA: Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi filed a petition in the Bombay High Court, requesting the cancellation of criminal cases registered against him. These cases were filed after his comments in support of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb made during the Maharashtra Assembly’s budget session on March 3 created a major controversy.
Earlier, a trial court had given Azmi anticipatory bail in the matter. Now, the High Court Bench of Justice AS Gadkari and Justice Rajesh Patil has issued a notice on two petitions filed by Azmi, and the court will hear the case again after four weeks.
The remarks that led to these legal troubles were made by Azmi when he was speaking to the media.
He allegedly said-
“Aurangzeb was a good administrator.”
He added-
“During his reign, India was called ‘A Golden Sparrow,’ and the country’s GDP was 24%, which is why the British came to India.”
Azmi also said that Aurangzeb ruled honestly and did not misuse public money, stating that the emperor did not take even a single rupee from the administration. He mentioned that India’s territory under Aurangzeb stretched all the way to Burma and Afghanistan.
Continuing his statement, Azmi added that Aurangzeb’s army also had Hindu commanders, and the battles fought under his reign were not between Hindus and Muslims. He claimed the historical events were “misinterpreted” over the years.
These comments, however, led to a political storm and drew heavy criticism, especially from Hindu groups and political leaders, who accused Azmi of hurting Hindu religious sentiments. In response, Azmi was suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly.
In another strong statement to the media, Azmi alleged that the ruling party in India was trying to divide Hindus and Muslims, and he claimed their main aim was, “destroying the Muslims in this country.”
His remarks received major backlash from several quarters. Critics said that by praising Aurangzeb, who is blamed for demolishing many Hindu temples, Azmi had deeply hurt religious feelings and also defamed the ruling political party.
Following this, First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed against Azmi at Marine Drive and Thane Police Stations.
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He has been charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, under:
- Section 299 – deliberate insult to religious beliefs
- Section 302 – hurting religious feelings
- Section 356(1) & 356(2) – defamation
In his defense, Azmi has firmly denied all allegations. He said that the media twisted his words and that he never intended to hurt anyone’s sentiments. He also requested the revocation of his suspension from the Maharashtra Assembly.
Azmi’s petition, filed by Advocate Mubin Solkar, states:
“The FIR does not disclose the basic ingredients of the alleged offences; there is no whisper in the FIR that the Applicant (Azmi) made the statements with the malicious intent of hurting the religious sentiments of any community. The FIR is politically motivated, and is an abuse of process of law.”
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