Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 4 : Amidst the uproar over Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi's remarks on Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Shiv Sena will be staging a state-wide protest against statements 'disrespecting' Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.
The party has demanded that a sedition case be filed against Abu Azmi and that he be suspended from the Assembly for "glorifying" Aurangzeb, the Shiv Sena stated in a press release on Tuesday.
Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Narayan Rane said that Abu Azmi has "lost his mental balance", adding that he keeps speaking "nonsense" to stay in the headlines.
"Abu Azmi has lost his mental balance. He does not know Maharashtra's history, and he is disrespecting our Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. He should apologise, but just an apology is not enough... He should either be asked to resign or suspended and only then will he learn his lesson. He keeps speaking nonsense to stay in the headlines, but now we will not tolerate it," Rane said.
Prior to him, Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, during his address in the Maharashtra legislative assembly also demanded a sedition case against Azmi.
Earlier today, Abu Azmi said that his words had been twisted and that he was ready to take back his statement and apologise if any sentiments were hurt.
"My words have been twisted. I have said what historians and writers have claimed about Aurangzeb Rahmatullah Ali," Azmi said.
"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," Azmi said in a video he posted on his X platform.
The MLA and Samajwadi Party chief on Maharashtra also said that the issue was being politicised.
"The 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," Azmi said.
Earlier today, a zero FIR was registered against Azmi in the Naupada Police Station of Thane and was transferred to the Marine Drive police station in Mumbai in connection with his remarks on Aurangzeb.
The FIR was lodged based on a complaint lodged by Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske.
Azmi, in his comments at an interaction with mediapersons in the Marine Drive area, had stated that "Aurangzeb was a good administrator."
The BJP latched on to Azmi's remarks and questioned INDIA block members as to why they were trying to glorify Aurangzeb.