This Article is From Nov 12, 2009

Azmi bashing: It's Sena vs Sena

Mumbai: For the third day in a row, Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Asim Azmi was targeted. The House was adjourned after the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) demanded the arrest and expulsion of Azmi, who was not present in the House.

The Shiv Sena is on a rampage targetting Abu Azmi, both inside and outside the Assembly. Azmi bashing is turning into a tug of war over the Marathi vote between the Shiv Sena and its rival the MNS.

The MNS is holding on tightly refusing to apologize for its hooliganism. The party has even asked the Speaker to revoke the suspension of its 4 MLAs.

Commenting on the incident in Maharashtra Assembly in which Azmi's mike was snatched while taking oath, MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said, "We will not apologise to Azmi. We are if necessary willing to apologise to the lady MLA who we may have pushed inadvertently."

The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), long accused of going slow on Raj Thackeray, is now under increasing pressure to explain why it did not prevent the attack despite MNS threats made a week before.

The Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA, Abu Asim Azim, had said, "The entire ministry was sitting there no one came to my aid."

Commenting on the issue, Deputy Chief Minister Chaggan Bhujbal said, "The security within the Assembly is the responsibility of the security staff of the secretariat. Government cannot be blamed for it."

Azmi himself stayed away from the Assembly on its last day, which is perhaps a comment on his lack of faith in the state warding off further attacks on him.

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