Four MNS MLAs suspended for roughing-up Azmi

Mumbai, Nov. 9 (ANI): The first day of the new Maharashtra assembly went pretty chaotic, with four Maharashtra Navnirman Sena legislators being suspended for assaulting Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Asim Azmi, who was taking his oath in Hindi.

As Azmi started to take his oath in Hindi, several MNS members swooped on him and pushed him aside. Legislator Ramesh Banjle uprooted the microphone from the podium.

As Azmi attempted to save himself, MNS member Ram Kadam slapped him and hit him on the face and chest, shocking the 288-member house that had converged for the oath-taking ceremony.

The house was adjourned for 30 minutes.

Action followed soon, with four MNS legislators-Vasant Geete, Shishir Shinde, Ram Kadam and Ramesh Wanjale -- were suspended for four years by the pro-tem speaker for the violent incident.

Earlier, Azmi had expressed his determination to take oath in the national language.zmi's announcement had come after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray's warning to the newly elected legislators asking them to take oath only in Marathi.

Raj Thackeray had challenged Azmi threatening to unleash mob violence in the Maharashtra Assembly if anybody took oath in Hindi. He had warned that the MNS legislators would show what they could do in the house. (ANI)