Akhtarul Iman, an MLA and the head of the AIMIM Bihar unit, referred to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb as a “noble emperor” on Wednesday, claiming that he united India and established “Akhand Bharat.” Iman went on to tell the news agency that Aurangzeb served India rather than plundering it like the British did. The AIMIM MLA’s statements were made in the midst of a heated dispute over Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi’s praise of the Mughal Emperor.
Azmi, the head of the state branch of the Samajwadi Party, had praised Aurangzeb, stating that India’s borders had extended to Afghanistan and Burma (Myanmar) under his rule. According to the news agency, Azmi also claimed that Aurangzeb “built many temples” and was not a “cruel administrator.” He went on to say that the conflict between Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and the Mughal emperor was over state administration rather than religion.
Due to criticism of his comments, Azmi was suspended from the Maharashtra legislative assembly till the conclusion of the current budget session on March 26. Akhtarul Iman attacked the BJP in response to the action against the SP leader, claiming that the saffron party has no other work and simply uses hate politics to achieve political advantage.
“BJP has no other work but to have political gains through politics of hatred…Aurangzeb was a noble emperor. He earned a livelihood by stitching caps. He didn’t use taxpayers’ money on himself,” the AIMIM MLA said. “He was buried here. He didn’t loot and leave like the British, but he served this country. He unified India, stretching from Afghanistan to Burma (Myanmar), and made it ‘Akhand Bharat.’ He treated both temples and mosques equally. So, why is such a controversy being stoked? …The Supreme Court should take suo motu cognizance of such governments. The action (against Abu Azmi) is unconstitutional,” he further stated.
Azmi, who cried injustice, claimed that even though he had taken back his statement, the action was nevertheless done against him. Yogi Adityanath, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, demanded that the Samajwadi Party condemn Azmi’s comments and dismiss him for exalting the Mughal emperor. Chandrakant Patil, a minister from Maharashtra, proposed to suspend Azmi from the House for the balance of the current session. Aurangzeb’s praise, according to Treasury Bench members, was an insult to Maratha monarch Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. By a vote of voice, the proposal was approved.
