Controversy Erupts Over Abu Azmi's Aurangzeb Remarks

Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi has appealed to the Bombay High Court to dismiss two FIRs he claims are politically driven in relation to his remarks about Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The FIRs were filed after Azmi described Aurangzeb as a 'good administrator' in a March interview.

A panel including Justices A S Gadkari and Rajesh Patil has issued a notice to the police and scheduled further proceedings for four weeks later. Azmi argues that his comments, made in the context of a Hindi movie conflict depiction, were misconstrued and insists he did not insult any Maratha or Hindu leaders.

The sessions court provided Azmi with pre-arrest bail, admonishing Mumbai Police for filing cases without fully analyzing Azmi's speech. Azmi asserts the FIRs lack evidence of intent to harm religious sentiments and constitute an abuse of the legal process.

(With inputs from agencies.)