MP court issues notices to Raj, MNS legislators

Taking cognizance of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's attack on Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi for taking his oath in Hindi, a local court has issued notices against party chief Raj Thackeray and four suspended party Members of Legislative Assembly.

Chief Judicial Magistrate R R Badodiya issued notices on Wednesday against Raj Thackeray and four other MLAs -- Shishir Shinde, Ramesh Wanjale, Vasant Gite and Ram Kadam -- and asked them to appear before the court on December 14 for hearing on a petition filed by one Pukhraj Dashora.

Dashora, in his petition, said that he was hurt by the reports of MNS' attack on Azmi for taking his oath in Hindi in the Maharashtra assembly. He described it as a "gross insult to the national language and also an attack on national integration".

The Magistrate took cognizance of the petition under section 153 (a) of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, language, place of birth, residence and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.