I.N.D.I.A MLA won't say Vande Mataram? Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi opposes National Song

Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Abu Azmi on Wednesday, July 19 stirred a massive controversy after he refused to say ‘Vande Mataram’ in Maharashtra Assembly amid the ongoing Monsoon Session, claiming that his religion (Islam) does not permit it. The SP MLA's comment led to the adjournment of the Assembly after BJP MLAs staged a protest over his insulting remark against the National Song. Notably, Abu Azmi’s statement came while he was raising the issue of a riot in Maharashtra's Sambhaji Nagar district. 

During his address to the state Assembly, the Samajwadi Party MLA said that chanting the “Vande Mataram” was unacceptable to him. “Some people say that if one has to live in India, ‘Vande Mataram’ must be chanted. We cannot do it. We believe only in one God,” he said. 

Notably, Abu Azmi's comment came at a time when the Opposition parties, including Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party, joined the united anti-BJP front "I.N.D.I.A" in Bengaluru on Tuesday, July 18. 

Ruckus in Maharashtra Assembly

Following Azmi’s insulting remarks, the MLAs belonging to the saffron began protesting due to which Speaker Rahul Narwekar had to adjourn the house for a few minutes. Appealing to the legislators to calm down, the Speaker stated that the MLA's comments are irrelevant to the topic and he should focus on the issue listed for the discussion. 

The SP leader’s statement against Vande Mataram came while he was speaking on the communal clashes that broke out between two groups ahead of Ram Navami in the Kiradpura area of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (earlier known as Aurangabad) in March this year. Several police vehicles were set on fire and pelted with stones amid the violence.

Abu Azmi not new to controversy

Notably, Azmi is not new to controversies, he had earlier attracted criticism for extending his support to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Igniting controversy, the SP leader took to Twitter and wrote, “I am with Aurangzeb Rahmatullah Alaih, if you look at his history, you will come to know that he was a secular emperor who made India from Afghanistan to Burma.” 

“There are many examples in history where Hindu and Muslim rulers took different decisions to run power, but today hatred is being spread by giving them religious colour for political gains,” he added in support of Aurangzeb.