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Mumbai:
Four MNS MLAs who were involved in creating havoc and assaulting Samanwadi Party (SP) MLA Abus Asim Azmi in the Maharashtra
legislative assembly are suspended from the house for four years.
"After what happened in the house
today afternoon, four MLAs from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are
suspended for four years", said Chief Minister Ashok Chavan adding,
"The decision received support from all the political parties baring
MNS."
The resolution for their suspension,
moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Patil, was
adopted by a voice vote with Shiv Sena-BJP alliance members
abstaining.
The four MNS MLAs who are suspended
from the house include Ramesh Wanzale from Kahadakwasla, Ram Kadam
from Ghatkopar (west), Shishir Shinde from Bhandup and Vasant Gite from
Nasik.
MNS
MLAs Monday afternoon had created a ruckus in the Maharashtra Assembly after
SP MLA Abu Asim Azmi took oath in Hindi.
As Azmi started to take his oath in Hindi, several MNS members
swooped on him and pushed him aside. Legislator Ramesh Banjle
uprooted the microphone from the podium.
As Azmi attempted to save himself, Ram Kadam - MNS MLA from
Ghatkopar (west) in Mumbai slapped him
and hit him on the face and chest, shocking the 288-member house
that had converged for the oath-taking ceremony.
MNS
members shouted slogans, demanding that Azmi should take oath in
Marathi.
MNS
Chief Raj Thackeray had last month announced that his party
legislators would ensure that all MLAs took oath in Marathi else his
party would teach them a lesson in 'its own style'.
"If
any MLA does not take oath in Marathi, the House will see what
happens," Raj had threatened.
Leaders condemn the
incident
The incident - first of its kind in
sixty years history of Maharashtra assembly has shocked the nation
and the MNS leaders and MLAs are receiving flak from all political
parties.
"It is nothing but shocking. Hindi is
the National language of the country and forcing an MLA from taking
the oath in that language is nothing but shameless", said Congress
leader Digivjay Singh.
The incident also received
condemnation from Mulayam Singh Yadav, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ramvilas
Paswan and Shahnawaz Hussain of BJP.
"The way MNS leaders behaved today
afternoon is no less than an act of treason. They should be booked
without wasting any time", said RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav.
MNS unashamed
Even as the incident is receiving
condemnation from all around the corner, MNS leaders are not
at all ashamed of what they did in the Maharashtra assembly today
afternoon.
"We had already advised the MLAs
to take the oath in Marathi. If there are people who don't
understand simple language then there is every chance that such
thing can happen", Ram Kadam, the MNS MLA who was allegedly involved
in the incident said while speaking to the media.
Protests in Maharashtra
Meanwhile, as soon as the news of the
incident spread through the media people took to the street and
protested in favour of their leaders.
While reports of protest and burning
of MNS president's effigy are reported from Bhiwandi and Nagpur by
SP workers, people in Pune demonstrated against SP leader Abu Asim
Azmi.
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