Court schools Azmi over Aurangzeb remarks, cautions him to exercise restraint during interviews
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Mumbai (PTI): Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi has been cautioned by a Mumbai court to exercise restraint during interviews as any “irresponsible” statement by a senior politician like him can spark riots.
Additional Sessions Judge V G Raghuwanshi schooled Azmi while granting him anticipatory bail on Tuesday in a case filed against the SP legislator for his remarks praising Mughal ruler Aurangzeb.
The offence concerns some statements made during an interview and it means police do not need custody for seizure of any article or interrogation, the court said in the order, a copy of which was made available on Thursday.
Noting that Azmi is a politician and businessman and it was improbable that he would run away from the course of justice, the judge said it was a “fit case to exercise discretion” in his favour.
“Before parting with the order I would like to caution the applicant (Azmi) to exercise restraint on himself while giving interviews, having regards to prevailing circumstances. Any irresponsible statement can flare riots and create law and order problems,” the court said.
“I hope the applicant, being a senior politician, will understand his responsibility,” it added.
The case was registered last week against the MLA, who represents the Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar constituency in the metropolis, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) over his remarks eulogising the medieval-era Mughal emperor.
He was booked under BNS sections 299 (deliberate and malicious act insulting the religious beliefs of any group of people), 302 (hurting someone's religious feelings) and 356(2)(defamation).
Azmi, who is also the Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra unit president, had said while talking to the media that during Aurangzeb’s reign, India’s borders reached Afghanistan and Burma (Myanmar).
“Our GDP (gross domestic product) accounted for 24 per cent (of world GDP) and India was called a golden sparrow,” the opposition legislator had claimed.
Asked about the fight between Aurangzeb and Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Azmi had termed it a political battle.
The remarks were made in the backdrop of the blockbuster Hindi film ‘Chhaava’, based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, who was captured by Aurangzeb’s commander in 1689. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and his father, legendary Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, are highly revered figures in Maharashtra.
Seeking anticipatory bail, Azmi, who has been suspended from the Maharashtra legislative assembly till March 26, submitted in the court that his statements were made to the press “spontaneously without any premeditated intention to insult any personality or hurt the religious feelings of any person”.
Azmi’s lawyer Mubin Solkar had submitted before the court that the FIR did not disclose any offence against the SP legislator.
“The allegations didn’t show he had made the statements, deliberately and with malicious intentions of outraging religious sentiments,” Solkar had argued.
The prosecution had opposed his plea, saying that after the release of a movie, religious sentiments of people are volatile and in such circumstances the applicant made controversial statements in his interview.
After hearing both sides, the court said that the investigation was at the primary stage and “therefore it will not be fair to comment upon the interview given by the applicant”.
Further, the judge said that he was surprised to hear that the investigating officer did not have the video recording of the alleged interview till “today” and he registered an offence without watching it.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
