Mumbai Court Grants Anticipatory Bail to SP MLA Abu Azmi Over Aurangzeb Remarks
Mumbai, 12th March 2025: A Mumbai court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi in connection with a case filed against him over his remarks in support of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
While approving the bail, the court imposed certain conditions and instructed Azmi, who has been suspended from the Maharashtra legislative assembly until March 26, to furnish a solvent surety bond of ₹20,000.
The case was registered last week at the Marine Drive police station in South Mumbai under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) following Azmi’s comments praising the medieval-era ruler.
Azmi, who serves as the Maharashtra unit president of the Samajwadi Party, had stated that under Aurangzeb’s rule, India’s territorial reach extended to Afghanistan and Burma (now Myanmar).
He also claimed that during that period, India’s GDP accounted for 24% of the global economy, earning the country the title of the “golden sparrow.”
When questioned about the conflict between Aurangzeb and Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Azmi described it as a political dispute.
