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4 MNS MLAs
must be debarred from contesting polls for 6 years: SDPI
Bhopal, November 12 (Pervez Bari): The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI),
has demanded the expulsion of four Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, (MNS), MLAs who
allegedly manhandled Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Asim Azmi for taking oath in the
national language of India which is Hindi, from the membership of the House
and debarred from contesting elections for at least six years. It also
demanded that the Central Government and the Election Commission should also
contemplate to ban or derecognize MNS.
The SDPI in a joint statement issued from New Delhi by E. Abubacker and A.
Sayeed, party’s president and general secretary respectively, said if
deterrent punishment is not handed over to the accused MNS lawmakers Shishir
Shinde, Ram Kadam, Ramesh Wanzale and Vasant Gite to nip in the bud their
cancerous approach to the affairs of India on linguistic lines then it would
be disastrous. If harsh action is not taken against them then it would
embolden them and it would be then construed that one is entitled to slap,
punch, kick and humiliate anyone on the minor issues such as regional, lingual
and racial bias in dignified places. The ruckus created by the four MNS MLAs
in the Maharashtra Assembly insulting the dignity of the House and showing
disrespect to the national language should not go scot free by merely
suspending them for four years, they asserted.
It must be understood plainly that Maharashtra is in India and it is for all
Indians speaking any language. The citizens have this right enshrined in the
Indian Constitution, they pointed out.
They said that this is most shameful act for MNS lawmakers to indulge in
slapping and raining blows over their colleagues from Samajwadi Party Azmi for
not obeying the diktat of MNS supremo Raj Thackeray, who had declared a
“Firmaan” for all MLAs to take oath in Marathi and no other language.
It may be mentioned here that MNS chief Raj Thackeray had sent out an open
letter to all 288 newly-elected legislators urging them to take the oath only
in Marathi. He had announced that his party legislators would ensure that all
MLAs took oath in Marathi. If any MLA does not take oath in Marathi, the House
will see what happens, Raj had threatened.
The statement said that the double standards of the MNS MLAs to see that the
diktat of their leader is implemented in letter and spirit by any means is
quite visible to the naked eye. In the case of Azmi, who took the pledge in
Hindi, the MNS MLAs pounced on him while another member who earlier took oath
in English was spared, probably to the fact that Raj Thackeray’s sons study in
English school, is astonishing. However, the MLAs in general exhibited
cowardice and bowed to MNS chief’s diktat and took oath in Marathi to avoid
their wrath which is also disgusting.
The defiance and temerity shown by the accused MLAs to repeat the act if
required for the pride of Marathi language, with no remorse or regret
whatsoever, speaks volumes of their mind set. It is very dangerous for the
health of the country as the divide on linguistic lines will be ruinous. Raj
Thackeray should also be taken to task as he is the main man behind fomenting
trouble in the Maharashtra Assembly, they demanded.
The statement reminded that it was Raj who had launched an anti-north Indian
campaign, demanding rights for sons-of-the-soil. The campaign had taken a
violent turn when MNS men thrashed north-Indians, forcing several of them to
leave the state. He had even opposed celebrating “Chhat Pooja”, held after
Diwali festival in north India, in Maharashtra and said "only Maharashtra Day
must be celebrated in Maharashtra". (pervezbari@eth.net)
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