Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Asim Azmi rakes up controversy again

Samajwadi party MLA Abu Asim Azmi today said that situation in Mumbai was not conducive to develop it into an international financial hub because 'some people' were targeting outsiders.

Participating in the debate on motion of thanks to the governor in the Legislative Assembly, Azmi demanded imprisonment for at least one year to persons attempting to create divide in the society on regional lines.

He said noted painter M F Hussain was forced to leave the country and take up Qatari citizenship while author Salman Rushdie is given police protection and escort.

Speaking on the Pune blasts, Azmi said people like Col Purohit and Pragya Singh Thakur, accused in the Malegaon blasts came from Pune. 

To which Pune BJP legislator Girish Bapat took strong objection saying that Azmi had no right to speak on security related issue when his name was doing rounds as the one who had given financial help to a suspect arrested in the Pune blasts.

Bapat demanded that Azmi make a clarification on the issue on the floor of the House. 

Revenue minister Narayan Rane, who was present in the House, said Azmi was trying to vitiate the atmosphere and his intentions were not good.