SP to felicitate Azmi for taking oath in Hindi

The Samajawadi Party will honour its Maharashtra unit president and newly elected legislator Abu Asim Azmi for taking oath in national language despite being assaulted by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena legislators inside the Maharashtra Assembly.

Azmi was attacked by the 13 member-strong MNS contingent as soon as he began to take his oath in Hindi on November 9. The MNS members snatched the mike placed and uprooted the podium and allegedly slapped Azmi and hit him on the chest.

"The party will honour Azmi on November 17 for his courage to take oath in Hindi despite violent opposition by the MNS members in Maharashtra Assembly," party spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said in Lucknow on Friday. The felicitation ceremony will be held at the SP headquarters in Lucknow and would be attended by party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and national general secretary Amar Singh, he said.

"By taking oath in Hindi Azmi had not only shown patriotism, but also bravely faced those posing threat to unity and integrity of the country," Chaudhary said. He said his party condemned the attack on Azmi by the MNS members.