"Haven't Insulted Anyone": Abu Azmi Retracts Remarks On Aurangzeb Amid Row

Abu Azmi, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA and party unit's chief in Maharashtra, on Tuesday withdrew his controversial remarks in praise of tyrant Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, after facing intense backlash from leaders across all parties.

Abu Azmi clarified that his statements were "twisted" and that he had no intention of disrespecting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

Abu Azmi had earlier sparked a political firestorm by asserting that Aurangzeb was "not a cruel leader." His remarks were widely condemned, with critics accusing him of insulting revered Maratha figures. Many leaders called him "anti-national" and demanded a case of sedition being registered against him.

Following the uproar, Abu Azmi posted a video on X defending his position.

मेरे शब्दों को तोड़-मरोड़ कर दिखाया गया है। औरंगज़ेब रहमतुल्लाह अलेह के बारे में मैंने वही कहा है जो इतिहासकरों और लेखकों ने कहा है। मैंने छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराज, संभाजी महाराज या अन्य किसी भी महापुरषों के बारे में कोई अपमानजनक टिपण्णी नहीं की है - लेकिन फिर भी मेरी इस बात से कोई… pic.twitter.com/k7PY0ICe3b

— Abu Asim Azmi (@abuasimazmi) March 4, 2025

"Yesterday, on March 3, when the Assembly ended and I came out, the media told me that the Chief Minister of Assam had compared Rahul Gandhi to Aurangzeb. In response, I spoke about Aurangzeb, but my words were blown out of proportion as if a storm had come. I have not insulted anyone," he said.

He further emphasised his respect for national icons, stating, "I respect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Maharaj, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, and all great men who stood for equality in society."

Clarifying his comments on Aurangzeb, Abu Azmi said, "When I quoted a historian's book about Aurangzeb, I never spoke ill of any of our great men. But if my statements, which have been distorted, have offended anyone, I take them back. The Assembly has important work to do, and it should not be disrupted over this issue."

Abu Azmi's retraction came after an FIR was filed against him at Thane's Wagle Estate Police Station on a complaint by Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske. He has been booked under Sections 299, 302, 356(1), and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the case has since been transferred to Marine Drive Police Station.

The controversy erupted when Abu Azmi, addressing reporters in Mumbai at the start of the Maharashtra Assembly session, responded to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma's comparison of Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee to Aurangzeb.

"Aurangzeb got several temples built. In Varanasi, he saved a Hindu girl from a priest who had an evil eye on her. He had the priest trampled by elephants," Abu Azmi had claimed.

He had further stated, "I don't consider Aurangzeb a cruel ruler. During that era, power struggles were political, not religious. Aurangzeb's army had many Hindus, just as Chhatrapati Shivaji's army had several Muslims."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)