Aurangabad: Samajwadi Party leader Abu
Asim Azmi today described Marathi as his mother and Hindi as
grandmother, and said he was learning the local language out
of respect and not fear.
"Marathi is like mother for me, but Hindi is like
grandmother. I am learning Marathi. (MNS chief) Raj Thackeray
should not think that I am learning the language out of his
fear," he said here in Central Maharashtra.
The first-time MLA was attacked by MNS legislators
inside Maharashtra Assembly last year for taking oath of
office in Hindi instead of Marathi.
Talking to mediapersons here, he condemned the killing
of advocate Shahid Azmi in Mumbai last week. Shahid, who was
the counsel of Fahim Ansari, a co-accused in the 26/11
attacks, and also defence lawyer for the accused in July 2006
Mumbai train blasts, was fighting for justice, he said.
To a question, Azmi said the Pune bomb blast was an
inhuman act and "if any Muslim was involved, he should be
hanged, but police should not harass members of the minority
community in the name of investigations".
Coming out in support of actor Shahrukh Khan, he said
there was nothing wrong in what the Bollywood star said about
Pakistani players in IPL.
Azmi declined to comment on the expulsion of Amar
Singh from the Samajwadi Party.
-PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 16, 2010, 00:35