Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi faces backlash for defending Mughal ruler Aurangzeb

Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Azmi has come under fire for his remarks defending Mughal ruler Aurangzeb Alamgir, stating that he was “not a cruel leader”. His comments have sparked controversy, drawing sharp criticism from political leaders across party lines.

Azmi made the statement while speaking to reporters in Mumbai at the commencement of the Maharashtra Assembly session.

During the interaction, he was asked about Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent comparison of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with Aurangzeb.

Responding to this, Azmi said, “Aurangzeb got several temples built. In Varanasi, he saved a Hindu girl child from a priest who had an evil eye on her. He had the priest trampled by elephants.”

Expanding on his views, Azmi further asserted, “I don’t consider Aurangzeb a cruel ruler. During that era, power struggles were about politics, not about Hindus versus Muslims. Aurangzeb’s army had many Hindus, and similarly, Chhatrapati Shivaji’s army had several Muslims.”

He also claimed that during Aurangzeb’s reign, “our territorial boundaries extended up to Afghanistan. Today, he is being vilified by invoking Hindu-Muslim divisions.”

However, Azmi’s comments were met with strong opposition. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde condemned his remarks, calling them unacceptable and demanded an apology. (IANS)

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