The Hindu : Front Page : MNS members attack Abu Azmi in Assembly

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Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009
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MNS members attack Abu Azmi in Assembly

Rahi Gaikwad

They were opposing the SP member taking oath in Hindi

Assembly condemns shameful incidents
Four MNS legislators suspended for four years

— PHOTOS: PTI/COURTESY TV9

Ruckus over language: A TV grab shows Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi being attacked by MNS MLAs in the Assembly in Mumbai on Monday when he began to take the oath in Hindi. At right, Mr. Azmi addresses the media after the incident.

Mumbai: All hell broke loose on the first day of the session of the newly elected Maharashtra Assembly on Monday when Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi took the oath of office in Hindi.

Vehemently protesting against it, over a dozen Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) members stormed the podium and attacked Mr. Azmi for not taking the oath in Marathi.

In an unprecedented act of vandalism, 13 MNS members damaged equipment, hurled papers and banners and stalled the proceedings. A woman member also became the target of the attack.

The outrageous incidents took place in the wake of the MNS president Raj Thackeray’s open letter to party legislators asking them to take the oath in Marathi, and his veiled warning against using any other language.

Condemning the incident and terming it shameful and deplorable, the Assembly passed a resolution suspending four MNS legislators — Shishir Shinde, Ramesh Wanjale, Ram Kadam and Vasant Geete — for four years. They were banned from entering the premises of the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai and Nagpur.

The rampage began the moment Mr. Azmi went up the dais and uttered his first word mai (I). At this, Mr. Wanjale rushed to the pulpit and pulled down the podium and the mike, supported by his party MLAs. The MNS members rushed to the well and tried to pull down Mr. Azmi from the podium. Among them were prominent leaders Mr. Shinde and Mr. Geete.

The MNS members displayed banners propounding the use of Marathi and hurled a sheaf of papers at Meenakshi Patil who had gone up to the podium to help Mr. Azmi. Seconds later, she fended off a banner. There were attempts to throw slippers at and slap Mr. Azmi.

In the melee, Mr. Azmi hastily read out his oath in Hindi, standing close to the Speaker’s chair and dodging menacing MNS members.

When Mr. Azmi finally moved away from the dais, Mr. Shinde pushed him. Mr. Kadam hit Mr. Azmi on the head with sheets of paper. A security guard came and whisked Mr. Azmi away.

The House was adjourned for half an hour.

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