Attack on Azmi an assault on idea of India: Congress
November 9th, 2009 - 7:39 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) Condemning the attack by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) legislators on Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi for taking his oath as legislator in Hindi, the Congress Monday said “this criminal act is an assault on the idea of India”.
The Congress said that both Hindi and Marathi are sister languages and using one did not mean that the other language was insulted.
“If Hindi is our mother, then Marathi is our aunt. Using one does not mean that another language is being insulted,” said Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi here.
He added: “If anything is being insulted, the Congress is the first to condemn it. But this is a criminal act, this is an assault on the idea of India. According to our constitution, our glorious democratic function, we are free to go to any part of the country.”
“We are a glorious democracy because India is one,” Singhvi told reporters.
Azmi, who is also the chief of the Samajwadi Party Maharastra state unit, was assaulted for defying MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s diktat of taking oath in the assembly only in Marathi.
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- Maharashtra CM says no controversy over Marathi and Hindi - Nov 19, 2009
- Shiv Sena men would have made 'tandoori' of Azmi: Bal Thackeray - Nov 10, 2009
- Azmi wants Raj Thackeray arrested for attack - Nov 10, 2009
- Oath taking ceremony completed in Maharashtra Assembly - Nov 10, 2009
- Raj Thackeray warns of riots over anti-Marathi remarks - Nov 03, 2011
- Abu Azmi attacked by MNS legislators inside assembly (Lead) - Nov 09, 2009
Tags: asim, congress spokesman, constitution, criminal act, democracy, diktat, india congress, languages, legislator, legislators, manu, New Delhi, party leader, thackeray