Four legislators suspended as language row turns ugly

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Assembly witnessed unprecedented scenes of hooliganism as Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Azmi was manhandled by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) legislators for taking his oath in Hindi, the national language, and not Marathi.

Their unruly behaviour resulted in the suspension of four MNS legislators for four years.

Pro-tem Speaker of the legislative assembly Ganpatroa Deshmukh suspended Ram Kadam, Shishir Shinde, Vasant Geete and Ramesh Vanjale. The four legislators were seeking legal recourse even as the speaker was studying video clippings to ascertain if others were involved in the attack. The oath-taking ceremony of the new MLAs, most of them speaking in Marathi, began peacefully in the morning until it was Abu Azmi's turn.

Even as he stood on the podium, taking his oath in Hindi, all the 13 MNS activists rushed forward and snatched the microphone from him while raising slogans, demanding he take the oath in Marathi.

Shocked members watched as Kadam slapped Abu Azmi and a woman MLA was pushed around. The situation was quickly brought under control.

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan later said the suspension of the MLAs was the right thing to do. Their behaviour is "not good for a democratic country like India". "This has never happened in Maharashtra. That is why a resolution was adopted by the house. The MLAs will not be allowed to enter the assembly in Mumbai and Nagpur for the next four years."